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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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Coloured  covers/ 
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I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


D 


D 


Couverture  endommagde 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pelliculde 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

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Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
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I      I    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reli6  avec  d'autres  documents 


r~71    Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 


D 


along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serr^e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 

distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intirieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  puges  blanches  ajout^es 
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maitf,  lorsquo  cela  6tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  film6es. 

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Commentaires  suppl6mentaires: 


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modification  dans  la  mdthode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquds  ci-dessous. 


Tl 
tc 


I      I   Coloured  pages/ 


D 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagdes 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pelliculdes 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxec 
Pages  ddcolordes.  tachetdes  ou  piqudes 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ddtach^es 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Quality  indgale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materif 
Comprend  du  matdriel  suppldmentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 


I  I  Pages  damaged/ 

j  I  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

I  I  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 

I  ^1  Pages  detached/ 

I  I  Showthrough/ 

I  I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I  I  Includes  supplementary  material/ 

I  I  Only  edition  available/ 


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Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  ref limed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
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obtenir  la  meitleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film^  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


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12X 


16X 


20X 


26X 


30X 


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28X 


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32X 


tails 

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The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
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Provincial  Archives  of  British  Colombia 

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first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
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The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
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whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
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L'exemplaire  filmA  fut  reproduit  grAce  A  la 
gAn6rosit6  de: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Les  images  suivantes  ont  6tA  reproduites  avec  le 
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filmage. 

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papier  est  imprimAe  sont  filmis  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film^s  en  commenpant  par  la 
premidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ♦-  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
film^s  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diff^rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clich6,  il  est  1i\m6  d  partir 
de  Tangle  sup^rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


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2 

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4 

5 

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CLEMENTS,  ONE  OF  THE  DISCOVERERS  OF  EL  DORADO 


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A  COMl'LETE  GUIDE  TO  THF, 

YUKON^GOLD^FIELDS 

eLEMENTS* 
QUIDE 


TO  THE 


KLONDYKE 


The  Fortunate  Brakeman's 

Account  of  How  He 

Gained   His 

Wealtli 


^ 
^ 


s.>^j 


B,  K.  P».(JMiSAStiT  *■  ■:).  L   .' 


^/Zcv-:/ ^>.^  ^P-^  ^ ^„,i:^ <_^ 


THE  KLONDYKE 


...BY. 


J.  I.  CLEMENTS 


DISCOVERER   of   El    Dorado   and   OWNER 

with   Clarence   Berry  and    FranK   Keller  of  the 

Celebrated  El  Dorado  Claims 

Four  and  Five 


HOW    THE    BRAKEMAN    GAINED    HIS    THOUSANDS 
IN     FOUR    MONTHS 


A  COMPLETE  GUIDE 


TO  THE  GOLD  EICLDS 


ILLUSTRATED 


HONEST.   RELIABLE,  ACCURATE 


Cdlfcil  Inj 

0.  WHAirrON  JAMES 


1897 

B.  R.  BAUMGARDT  &  CO. 

LOS   ANGELES, 

CAL. 


C4xC? 


■pmur 


COPYRIGHT  1897 

BY 

J.  I.  CLBMBNTS  AND  G.  WHARTON  JAMES 


; 


AUTHOR'S   PREFACE. 


EVER  since  it  was  known  that  I  had  been  success- 
ful in  my  mining  operations  on  the  Klondyke,  I 
have  been  besieged  daily  by  hosts  of  friends,  acquain- 
tances and  strangers,  and  deluged  with  letters  from  all 
parts  of  the  American  Continent  asking  for  reliable 
information  about  this  newest  and  greatest  El  Dorado. 
The  following  pages  are  my  answers  to  the  questions 
I  have  been  asked,  and  my  solemn  warning  to  those 
who  would  rush,  unprepared  and  heedless,  to  the  Klon- 
dyke, under  the  impulse  of  momentary  enthusiasm. 

When  I  made  the  journey  I  was  going  into  a  terra 
incognita,  and  from  few,  if  any,  could  \  gain  any 
information  as  to  route,  cost  of  travel,  depots  of  sup- 
plies, etc.  This  book,  if  properly  studied,  will  give  to 
the  reader  and  prospective  traveler  all  the  necessary 
information  to  enable  him  to  make  the  trip  at  the 
right  season,  in  the  right  manner  and  over  what  I 
regard  as  the  most  suitable  route. 

J.  I.  CivEMENTS, 

lyos  Angeles,  California, 
October,  1897. 


101165 


EDITOR'S   PREFACE. 


THIS  book  is  a  statement  of  facts.  It  gives  the 
unvarnished  record  of  Mr.  Clements'  journey  to 
the  Klondyke,  his  mining  experiences  and  his  won- 
derful successess. 

It  is  a  reliable  handbook  of  information  for  those  who 
wish  to  take  the  trip,  and  will,  the  Editor  hopes,  serve 
as  a  powerful  deterrent  to  all  who  are  unfitted  to  cope 
with  the  many  hardships  that  the  best  prepared 
traveler  must  endure  in  going  to  the  Klondyke.  It 
is  not  the  everyday  man  who  can  carry  a  heavy  load 
of  provisions  and  supplies  over  pathle.ss  mountains 
covered  with  deep  snow  ;  construct  a  boat  that  he 
must  guide  through  raging  rapids,  dangerous  whirl- 
pools, swirling  eddies  and  swift  currents,  and  often 
tow  against  a  five  to  eight  mile  current  over  boulders 
and  rolling  waves ;  sleep  out  in  the  open  whenever 
and  wherever  night  overtakes,  with  the  thermometer 
for  seven  long  months  varying  from  zero  to  70  degrees 
below,  and  where,  in  summer  gnats'and  mosquitoes  by 
the  million  sting  and  poison  ;  prepare  his  food  out  of 
doors  under  these  adverse  conditions,  and  finally  reach 
the  gold  region  to  find  his  labors  but  begun.  For  here 
he  must  set  his  brain  to  work  to  find  a  location,  and 
then,  tireless  energy,  powerful  strength  and  indomi- 
table courage  are  needed  to  dig  gravel  which  is  frozen 
solid  so  far  down  that  the  frost  bottom  has  never  yet 
been  reached. 

The  man  who  is  willing  and  able  to  meet  and  over- 
come these  hardships  has  as  good  a  chatice  i|i  the 


Klondyke  region  as  many  of  those  who  have  already 
gained  their  fortunes.  Scores  of  miles  of  rich  creek 
and  gulch  bottoms  are  unexplored,  and  these  may  pan 
out  as  well  as  the  richest  claims  yet  staked. 

But  the  intelligent  miner  will  post  himself  before  he 
leaves  home  as  to  what  is  necessary  to  make  a  success 
of  his  mining  adventures  in  the  Klondyke,  and  thus 
deserve  the  success  he  hopes  to  attain. 

Unlike  most  of  the  books  published  on  the  Klon- 
dyke, this  book  is  not  full  of  wild,  crazy  statements 
made  by  irresponsible  persons,  but  is  the  calm  deliber- 
ate utterances  of  one  of  the  most  succes.'ful  miners  of 
the  region,  the  discoverer  of  the  El  Dorado  and  the 
great  $231  nugget,  and  the  present  holder  of  several 
successful  claims.  The  information  herein  contained, 
therefore,   is    guaranteed  to  be  reliable   and   safe  to 

follow. 

G.  Wharton  James. 


INDEX. 

PAOF,. 

Journey  to  the  Gold  Fields 9 

First  View  of  Alaska 10 

Terrible  Chilkoot  Pass 12 

Alaskan  Boat  building 13 

Tagish  House 15 

Mash  Lake 15 

Treacherous  Grand  Canyon 15 

White  Horse  Rapids 17 

Lake  Labarge 18 

River  Scenery 20 

Dark  Days 21 

Bonanza  Creek 23 

El  Dorado  discovered 23 

Burning  and  Panning 25 

Claims  4  and  5 27 

Rich  Pans  of  Dirt 27 

More  Gold 28 

Manner  of  Living 29 

Condition  of  Labor 30 

Miners'  Code  of  Morals  and  Laws 31 

Fake  Boomers  Hated 32 

Reduction  of  Claims 33 

Customs  Regulations 33 

Free  and  Easy 34 

Gold  Dust  as  Money 35 

Mosquito  Headquarters 35 

vSnow  Blindness 36 

Indians 37 

Return  to  Civilization 38 

People  Flocking  In 39 

Our  Return  Route 39 

St.  Michaels 40 

Kings  of  the  Klondyke 42 

San  Francisco  and  Home 43 

Facts  About  Alaska ." 43 

Shall  I  Go  to  the  Klondyke 48 

Instructions  About  Outfit 49 

Provisions 51 

Clothing 52 

Medicines 54 

Powder  for  Blasting 54 


IfiDEX—Coniifiucd. 


PACK 


PAOE. 

••  9 

..  lo 

...  12 

..  13 
..  15 

•  15 
••  15 
..  17 
..  18 
..  20 
..  21 

•  23 

•  23 

•  25 

•  27 

•  27 
.  28 

•  29 

•  30 

•  31 

•  32 

•  33 
33 
34 
35 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 

39 
40 

42 
43 
43 
48 

49 
51 
52 
54 
54 


Prepare  for  the  Mosquitoes 55 

Price  of  Outfit 55 

Frauds  in  Outfitting  56 

Prices  paid  at  Dawson 57 

Determination  of  Route 60 

Skaguay  Pass 61 

White  Pass 63 

Chilkat  Pass 64 

Taku  Route 65 

Stickine  River  Route 65 

Copper  River  Route 65 

Mack  '^- •   River  Route 66 

Yukon  River  Route 67 

^hilkoot  Pass 68 

When  to  Start 69 

The  Start 7^ 

Bogus  Mining  Claims 7i 

Trading  Companies 7i 

Formation  of  Mining  Companies 72 

Mineral  Resources 72 

Game  of  the  Yukon 73 

Woodland  Caribou 74 

Barren  Land  Caribou • 74 

St.  Elias  Bear 75 

Mountain  Goat 7^ 

Mountain  Sheep 77 

Lynx 77 

Wolves 77 

Wolverine 7^ 

Fish 78 

Lake  Trout 78 

Mining  Laws  of  Yukon 79 

United  States  Mining  Laws 87 

Climate  of  Alaska 9° 

Climate  at  the  Gold  Fields 93 

Dyea 94 

Sheep  Camp 94 

Stone  House 95 

Caching  Provisions  etc 95 

Where  to  Stop  at  Night 96 

Lake  Lindeman 9^ 

Boat  Building 97 


INDEX   TO   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


n 


FACING  PAGE 

Clements'  Map  to  the  Gold  Region 104 

J.  I.  Clements 8 

Juneau,  Alaska 9 

Boat  going  through  Grand  Canyon 16 

Landing  at  Eddy  of  Grand  Canyon 17 

Clements',  Berry's  and  Keller's  Claim  on  El  Dorado  Creek..  32 

Miners*  Cabin  at  Dawson  City 33 

Breaking  up  of  Ice  on  Yukon 40 

McQuesten's  Store  at  Circle  City 41 

Five  Fingers , 48 

Forty  Mile  Post 49 

Steamer  Alice  at  Dawson 64 

Dawson  City 65 

St.  Michaels 65 

Sheep  Camp 96 

Chilkoot  Pass 97 

Clements'  Dog  Team  at  Circle  City 80 

En  Route  to  Mines  81 

Cabin  at  Forty  Mile  Post 8t 


! 


FACING   PAGE 
104 

'  8 

9 

16 

17 

0  Creek..  32 

33 

40 

41 

48 

49 

64 

65 

65 

96 

97 

80 

81 

81 


I^BE''  ' '                      ^^HJ^^H^^H^^^^^B' 

^^^■fs^il 

■H 

J.  I,  CLKMENTS, 

due  cf  the  Dis.overers  ot  Hi  Dorado. 


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55 


1 

1:  ■\\ 


mmmmm 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.       9 


f) 


'.*% 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE  JOURNEY  TO  THE  GOLD 

FIELDS. 


FVER  since  I  was  a  boy  I  have  wanted  to  penetrate 
J     the  wilds  of  the  continent  where  few  white  men 

have  been.     The  frontier  always  had  a  fascination  for 
me  and  it  has  always  been  my  intention  to  make  jnst 
such  a  trip  some  day.     During  my  fourteen  years  of 
railroading  I   had  saved  quite  a  considerable  sum  of 
money,  and  when  the  first  reports  of  the  rich  finds  in 
the  Alaska  rivers  were  published,  three  or  four  years 
ago,  I  wanted  to  go,  but  was  unable  to  do  so.    Of  course 
I  talked  the  matter  over  with  my  friends,  and  several 
of  them  were  as  anxious  to  go  as  I  was.     When  I  did 
make  up  my  mind  it  was  in  a  hurry.     It  was  on  the 
1 2th  of  March,  1896,  that   I  learned  that  several  of 
them  were  going  to  the  Yukon  Gold  Fields,  and  that 
very  day  I  resigned  my  position  as  brakeman  on  the 
Southern  Pacific  Railway.     I  was  then  living,  with 
my  wife  and  two  children,  in  Los   Angeles,  and,  bid- 
ding goodbye  to  them,  left  on  the  evening  of  the  13th 
at  8:15  .jr  San  Francisco. 


;      I 


10      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 

My  companions  were  Frank  Keller,  brakeman, 
William  House,  conductor,  both  of  the  Southern 
Pacific,  Charles  Lamb,  John  Doty,  both  of  the  Los 
Angeles  street  car  service,  and  Mr.  Narcross.  We 
made  no  preparation  whatever  for  the  journey  in  Los 
Angeles.  At  Fresno,  Clarence  Berry  joined  us.  We 
did  not  stay  long  in  San  Francisco,  but  went  at  once 
to  Seattle  by  rail.  There  we  purchased  part  of  our 
outfit.  After  waiting  four  days  for  a  steamer,  we 
sailed  March  20  on  the  steamer  City  of  Topeka  for 
Juneau. 


FIRST   VIEW   OF    ALASKA. 


t 


!     I 


I  do  not  remember  the  exact  date  upon  which  we 
landed  at  Juneau,  but  I  shall  never  forget  my  first 
impressions  of  Alaska.  They  were  anything  but 
favorable.  I  hardly  know  what  I  had  expected  to 
see,  but  what  I  did  vSee  was  a  typical  frontier  town 
which  belonged  to  some  other  people  and  continent. 
Strange  faces,  strange  costumes,  a  strange  dialect, 
and,  worst  of  all  to  me,  a  strange  climate,  for  I  had 
been  accustomed  for  j'ears  to  the  almost  perpetual 
sunshine  of  Southern  California.  Still,  I  was  not  in 
least  discouraged  and  I  enjoyed  the  new  experiences. 

At  Juneau  we  bought  the  balance  of  our  supplies. 
You  might  ask  :  How  did  we  know  what  was  needed  ? 
We  did  not  know  only  in  a  general  way,  but  we 
depended  upon  the  men  who  make  a  business  of  fur- 
nishing supplies.  At  that  time  it  was  just  as  cheap 
to  make  the  purchases  there  as  to  have  bought  what 
we  needed  on  the  Sound  and  paid  freight  to  Juneau. 
As  soon  as  we  had  made  all  our  purchases  of  pro- 
visons,  clothing,  mining  supplies  and  tools  we   took 


brakeman, 
e  Southern 
of  the  r,os 
cross.  We 
rney  in  I,os 
id  us.  We 
ent  at  once 
part  of  our 
teamer,  we 
Topeka  for 


i 


which  we 
-t  my  first 
thing   but 
cpected  to 
itier  town 
continent, 
je  dialect, 
for  I  had 
perpetual 
vas  not  in 
periences. 

supplies. 
s  needed  ? 
,  but  we 
:ss  of  fur- 
as  cheap 
?ht  what 

Juneau. 

of  pro- 
we  took 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.      11 

passage  on  a  small  steamer,  the  Sea  Lion,  and  em- 
barked for  Dyea.  The  native  way  of  spelling  it  is 
Taiya.  This  town  is  loo  miles  north  of  Juneau  at  the 
head  of  Chilkoot  inlet.  There  was  snow  everywhere 
and  the  country  looked  anything  but  inviting.  The 
journey  inland  begins  at  Dyea,  which  is  the  end  of 
civilization,  and  the  last  point  of  communication  wdth 
the  outside  world.  Guides,  dog  sleds,  etc.,  were 
easily  obtainable  and  we  left  Dyea  with  our  supplies 
on  sleds  soon  after  reaching  there.  It  is  possible  to 
take  canoes  up  the  Dyea  river  for  six  or  seven  miles, 
but  as  that  would  necessitate  another  handling  of  the 
freight  we  made  the  trip  to  the  Chilkoot  canyon  with 
dog  sleds.  The  terrible  Chilkoot  Pass  is  only  four- 
teen miles  from  Dyea  and  across  it  to  the  head  ot 
L,ake  lyinderman  in  the  Yukon  watershed  is  twenty- 
three  and  a  half  miles.  I  wish  I  could  properly 
describe  this  pass  so  as  to  give  you  some  idea  of  its 
terrors,  but  no  man  who  has  never  crossed  it  can  form 
any  idea  of  what  it  is  from  what  might  be  written  of 
it.  The  trail  leads  from  the  canyon  up  the  rugged 
.3...esof  the  mountain  along  a  timbered  shelf  over- 
looking the  canyon  and  the  river  until  Sheep  Camp  is 
reached.  This  is  practically  the  timber  line,  and 
although  the  ascent  before  that  is  most  difficult,  here 
begins  the  real  work  of  crossing  the  mountains.  A 
violent  storm  was  raging  when  we  arrived  there  and 
we  had  to  wait  two  weeks  before  we  could  proceed. 
The  drifted  snow  was  treacherous  and  we  frequently 
heard  the  roar  of  an  avalanche  at  some  distant  point 
in  the  mountains.  In  places  the  wind  swept  the  rocks 
clear  of  snow,  depositing  it  in  drifts  at  other  places 
until  it  was  almost  bottomless. 


12      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


TERRIBLE  CHILKOOT  PASS. 


'  I 


Mil! 


i  llii 


After  waiting  two  weeks  for  a  favorable  opportunity 
to  cross,  we  finally  began  the  effort.  To  drag  our  sup- 
plies up  the  pass  on  sleds  with  dogs  as  the  motive 
power  was  out  of  the  question,  so  we  rigged  up  a 
block  and  tackle  and  in  lots  of  about  one  hundred 
pounds  at  a  time  we  lifted  our  freight  from  shelf  to 
shelf,  only  to  repeat  the  operation  until  we  reached  the 
summit.  The  mere  description  of  the  manner  of 
working  conveys  little  idea  of  what  it  really  was. 
What  chance  would  a  party  of  store  clerks,  book- 
keepers, or  other  men  who  seldom  use  their  muscles 
for  hard  work,  have  here?  It  is  true  they  might 
secure  Indian  packers  to  carry  their  goods  at  a  cost  of 
$14  per  one  hundred  pounds.  That  was  the  charge 
then,  but  with  the  rush  that  is  now  on  the  Indians 
can  charge  any  price  thej'^  please. 

The  summit  is  4,000  feet  above  the  tide  water,  and 
there  is  a  sheer  descent  on  the  otner  side  of,  five  hun- 
dred feet  to  Crater  lake,  which  undoubtedly  occupies 
an  extinct  crater.  The  descent  is  comparatively  easy 
and  from  Crater  lake  we  followed  a  small  canyon  to 
the  head  of  Lake  Lindeman,  oui  next  camp.  To 
make  the  distance,  nine  miles,  with  our  entire  load  in 
one  trip  was  impossible  ;  we  made  three  trips  of  it 
from  the  summit  to  the  lake.  Owing  to  the  scarcity 
of  timber  around  Lake  Lindeman,  it  having  been 
burned  off,  we  could  not  build  a  boat  there,  and,  there- 
fore, were  compelled  to  haul  our  goods  to  Lake  Ben- 
nett, which  is  connected  with  L;ike  Lindeuian  by  a 
small,  rocky  stream,  one  mile  in  length. 


VDVKE. 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.      13 


>. 


ALASKAN  BOAT  BUILDING. 


opportunity 
•ag  our  sup- 
)  the  motive 
rigged  up  a 
ne  hundred 
^m  shelf  to 
reached  the 
manner   of 
really  was. 
srks,  book- 
iir  muscles 
hey   might 
at  a  cost  of 
the  charge 
he  Indians 

water,  and 
f,  five  hun- 
y  occupies 
ively  easy 
canyon  to 
mp.       To 
re  load  in 
rips   of  it 
e  scarcity 
ing   been 
id,  there- 
•ake  Ben- 
man  ])v  a 


To  build  a  boat  such  as  was  needed  for  the  remain- 
der of  our  journey  would  be  easy  enough  anywhere 
that  lumber  could  be  had,  but  to  perform  such  a  task 
there  was  then  an  entirely  different  and  very  diffi- 
cult matter.  Remember  we  had  nothing  but  our  tools, 
supplies  and  sleds,  and  our  only  material  for  boat 
building  was  to  be  found  in  the  uncut  forests.  Nor 
was  the  timber  at  all  places  near  enough  to  the 
water  to  make  the  work  easy.  Every  board  had  to 
be  whip-sawed.  A  sawpit  had  to  be  constructed 
and  trestles  to  hold  the  trees  to  be  sawed  had  to  be 
put  up.  To  get  the  trees  over  this  pit  and  to  block 
them  in  place  was  not  always  easy,  as  some  of  them 
had  to  be  rolled  quite  a  distance.  Every  board  was 
valuable  and  every  nail  counted  for  something, 
because  we  knew  we  might  need  all  we  had  later. 
Our  boat  was  finished  at  last  and  the  work  of  load- 
ing it  was  soon  over.  It  was  not  possible  to  float 
in  all  places,  however,  because  of  the  ice,  so  we 
sometimes  used  it  as  an  ice  boat.  In  that  manner 
our  progress  was  rapid.  Lake  Bennett  is  twenty- 
six  miles  long,  and  we  traversed  it  without  special 
incidents. 

We  built  our  boat  near  the  West  Arm  of  Lake 
Bennett,  and  put  into  it  an  eighteen  foot  mast  with 
eighty  square  feet  of  sail.  We  had  not  sailed  far 
before  we  reached  the  ice,  and  there  we  dragged  the 
boat  out  oi  the  water,  blocked  it  upon  sleds,  fore 
and  aft,  rigged  a  crude  steering  gear,  hoisted  our 
sail  and  were  rapidly  blown  along.  We  made  fully 
ten  miles  an  hour  where  the  wind  was  favorable 
and  the  ice  good. 


s 


HI! 


liiii 


14      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE, 

The  lower  end  of  Lake  Bennett  reaches  up  into  a 
beautiful  valley,  and  it  seemed  as  if  that  was  to  be 
the  direction  we  were  to  take.  Instead  of  this  we 
had  to  turn  to  the  east,  around  a  high  mountain, 
and  enter  a  low-terraced  system  of  slopes  to  Caribou 
Crossing.  This  is  the  name  given  to  the  connecting 
strip  of  water  between  Lake  Bennett  and  Tagish 
Lake,  or  more  properly,  the  Windy  Arm  of  Tagish 
Lake.  The  channel  is  windy  and  shallow  and  the 
current  slow.  The  name  was  given  on  account  of 
this  being  the  crossing  place  of  the  bands  of  caribou 
during  their  period  of  migration. 

At  Caribou  Crossing  we  came  to  water  again,  and 
it  was  not  a  long  task  to  slip  the  boat  off  the  sleds 
into  the  water  and  take  to  rowing.  Two  miles  and 
a  half  further  on  we  had  to  take  once  more  to  the 
ice  and  we  sledded  it  across  the  lower  end  of  the 
Windy  Arm,  across  Tagish  Lake  and  up  nearly  as 
far  as  Tagish  House. 

The  Windy  Arm  is  the  name  given  to  the  south- 
western portion  of  Lake  Tagish,  and  is  so  known 
because  of  the  fierce  winds  that  generally  assail  the 
traveler,  at  all  portions  of  the  year,  in  making  the 
crossing.  Lake  Bennett  is  generally  very  windy,  l)Ut 
we  escaped  all  rough  winds  there,  only  to  catch  our 
full  share  at  Windy  Arm.  This  place  seems  to  form  a 
funnel  for  the  wind  to  enter  the  White  Pass,  and  boat- 
men have  often  been  delayed  for  c'ays  until  its  fury 
was  expended.  Many  a  boat  has  been  wrecked  here, 
and  many  a  poor  prospector  lost  his  all  owing  to  the 
treacherous  winds  of  Windy  Arm. 

Fortunately  we  crossed  it  with  little  difficulty,  sled- 
ding along  at  a  comfortable  rate  of  speed.  Tagi.sh 
Lake  was  also   cros.sed    with  little   incident,  and    we 


en| 

U 

sl( 

esi 

col 


DYKE. 


CLEMENTS^  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.     15 


"p  into  a 
was  to  be 
of  this  we 
mountain, 
to  Caribou 
:onnecting- 
nd  Tagish 
of  Tagish 
^  and  the 
iccount  of 
of  caribou 

gain,  and 
the  sleds 
miles  and 
re  to  tlie 
d  of  the 
nearly  as 

le  south- 
J  known 
ssail  the 
nng    the 
ndy,  but 
atch  our 
o  form  a 
nd  boat- 
its  fury 
ed  here, 
g  to  the 

y,  sled- 

Tagish 

ind    we 


entered  the  six  mile  river  which  connects  Tagish 
Lake  and  Lake  Marsh.  This  is  a  wide  stream,  with  a 
slow  current.  It  opens  into  the  extended  valley, 
especially  to  the  west,  while  here  and  there  are  lianks 
covered  with  cotton  wood  and  white  spruce. 


taoish  house. 


Just  before  reaching  Tagish  House  we  left  the  ice 
and  re-entered  the  water.  This  is  an  Indian  house, 
kept  by  the  Indians  of  the  surrounding  district,  who 
come  here  annually  for  their  councils  of  war,  their 
feasts  and  dances.  There  are  smaller  houses  around, 
used  by  the  Indians  as  dwellings.  These  houses  are 
kept  in  repair  at  each  annual  celebration  of  the  abor- 
igines. ______„ 

MARSH  LAKE. 


We  rowed  past  the  historic  Indian  House,  out  into 
Lake  Marsh,  which  is  twenty  miles  in  length,  and 
about  four  miles  out  had  to  take  the  boat  from 
the  water  again  and  place  it  on  the  sleds.  Thus  we 
sledded  across  Lake  Marsh,  taking  to  the  water  again 
at  the  Lewis  River,  down  the  smooth  current  of 
which  we  rowed  for  about  twenty-six  miles.  The 
water  flowed  easily  about  ihree  miles  an  hour,  and 
occasionally  we  came  to  a  rapid,  the  roar  and  noise 
and  dash  of  which  served  as  a  foretaste  of  the  dan- 
gerous rapids  we  knew  were  ahead  in  the 

TREACHEROUS  GRAND  CANYON. 

A  few  miles  above  the  Canyon,  Silver  Creek  enters 
where  the  sand  has  piled  up  in  a  number  of  dome- 
shaped  mounds.  The  current  increases  in  speed, 
until  at  last  we  reach  a  friendly  sign  which  says: 


;    I 

ii 


ilii 


16      CLEMENTS'  aUfPE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 

DANGER  1     STOP. 

And  here  it  was  well  we  did  stop,  or  this  simple 
narrative  would  never  have  been  written. 

The  canyon  is   about    three-quarters   of  a  mile  in 
length,   and,  in  its  widest   part,  not  a  hundred  feet 
wide,  and  the  sides  rise  perpendicularlj'  from  fifty  to 
twohundreed  feet.     Above,  the  river  is  two  hundred 
and  fifty  yards  wide,  and  all  of  the  water  it  contains 
is  crowded  into  this  rocky  passage.     The  roar  of  the 
water  as  it  plunges  through  this  place  is  like  a  contin- 
ual roll  of  thunder,  and  the  speed    of  the   current  is 
something  frightful.     vSuch   is   the  force  with  which 
the  water  is  dashed  through  that  it  is  crowded  up  to 
a  crest  or  comb  in  the  center,  which  is  fully  four  feet 
higher  than  where  it  strikes  the  walls.     To  shoot  this 
canyon  a  boat  must  be  kept  on  this  crest,  which  can  be 
done  with  comparative  ease,  provided   the  steersman 
does  not  lose  his  head,  but  it  takes  a  cool  head  and 
and  more  nerve  than  many  persons  possess   to   make 
the  trip.     To  those  who  enter  it  trusting  to  luck  to 
take  them  through  it  is  a  veritable  death  trap.     If 
once  a  boat  gets  off  that  crest  there  is  no  hope  for  it, 
for  it  will   be    dashed   against    the    sides    with  such 
force  as  to  splinter    it.     Occasionally  a  bowlder  lies 
right  in  the  way  of  the  current,  and  then  the  waves 
dash  over  it  with  a  wildness  and  a  fury  indescribable, 
throwing  great    clouds    of  spray    high  into  the  air. 
Our  boat  rode  over  these  waves,  bounding  and  leap- 
ing as  though    gifted    with   sensibility  and  life,  and 
our  hearts  leaped    and    bounded  in  response    to  the 
gallant   little    bark's    endeavors.     Some   idea  of  the 
rapidity  of  the  current  may  be  had  when  the  reader 
learns  that  our  boat  went  the  entiie  distance — three- 
quarters  of  a   mile — in  two   and    one-half    minutes. 


DYKE. 


this  simple 

f  a  mile  in 
undred  feet 
"rom  fifty  to 
vo  hundred 

it  contains 

roar  of  the 
-e  a  contin- 

ciirrent  is 
vith  which 
tvded  up  to 
y  four  feet 

shoot  this 
lich  can  be 

steersman 
i  head  and 

to   make 
to  luck  to 

trap.  If 
ope  for  it, 
with  such 
wider  lies 
he  waves 
scribahle, 
)  the  air. 
and  leap- 

life,  and 
e  to  the 
-a  of  the 
tie  reader 
2— three- 
minutes. 


«4 


St. 


'3 


ctf-. 


ilili! 


M 


DHIIM 

lAl!  \  ^^ 

nlnlnill 

SJfl 

J  pfr'r 

Ia  ■ 

1  ■\  '   ' 

•I       ca 

thi 

Til 

thi 

ha 

a 

cr 

ov 

in 

T! 

si( 

th 

af 


V 
d 

0 


m 


k' 


i- 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE,      17 

There  is  a  portage  of  a  mile  and  a  half  around  this 
place  if  it  is  desired  to  avoid    the  danger  that  way. 

SAW  FOUR  HEN  DROWN. 

Just  ahead  of  us,  when  we  got  to  the  head  of  the 
canyon  was  a  party  of  four  young  men  in  a  boat  of 
their  own  construction.  How  long  they  had  been 
there  I  do  not  know,  nor  did  I  learn  their  names. 
Their  craft  started  through  the  canyon  all  right,  and 
they  gave  a  yell  or  a  cheer.  Their  steersman  must 
have  lost  com  ol  of  the  boat,  for  they  had  gone  but 
a  short  distance  when  we  saw  their  boat  leave  the 
cres,  and  dash  against  the  stone  sides.  It  was  all 
over  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  it,  for  the  boat 
in.stantl)  turned  over  and  disappeared  with  all  on  boara. 
There  is  an  undercurrent  which  boils  and  rolls  from 
side  to  side,  and  we  supposed  they  were  caught  in 
that,  for  we  never  saw  a  sign  of  them  or  their  outfit 
afterwards. 


WHITE   HORSE    RAPIDS. 


Grand  canyon  and  White  Horse  rapids,  which  are 
two  miles  below  the  canj^on,  had  caused  thirteen 
deaths  that  season.  The  rapids  are  more  dangerous 
of  passage  than  the  canyon,  if  there  could  be  any 
greater  danger,  because  they  are  filed  with  huge  rocks 
and  bowlders.  Up  to  the  time  I  left  the  camp  reports 
had  come  in  of  the  drowning  of  thirteen  men  at  differ- 
ent times  at  one  place  or  the  other.  I  do  not  vouch 
for  the  truth  of  this  report,  but  having  seen  both 
places,  I  am  not  inclined  to  discredit  it. 

No  photograph  or  description  can  adequately  por- 
tray the  difficulty  or  danger  of  shooting  such  rapids  as 


18       CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


\\ 


!i 


the  White  Horse.  To  the  onlooker  from  the  side  of 
the  river  it  seems  as  if  there  would  be  but  a  few  toss- 
ing waves  to  overcome,  but  those  who  have  read 
Major  Powell's  descriptions  of  shooting  the  rapids  in 
the  Grand  Canyon  of  the  Colorado  River  will  know 
how  to  estimate  aright  the  dangers  and  perils  to  be 
met.  In  the  ocean  the  water  of  a  wave  stands  still, 
while  the  form  of  the  wave  moves  on.  The  result  is 
a  boat  rises  and  falls  and  the  difficulty  is  over.  But 
in  these  rapids  the  form  remains  while  the  water 
dashes  on,  so  that  a  boat  is  often  swamped  by  going 
under  the  back-combing  wave.  Then  too,  one  must 
avoid  the  rocks  that  bar  the  passage  way.  Expert 
hands,  arms  and  muscles  are  required  to  steer  where 
the  current  is  smoothest,  and  to  avoid  the  swirling 
whirlpools  where  dire  dangers  lurk,  and  Ihe  vSeething 
eddies  which  crave  for  man's  life.  No  foolhardy  per- 
son should  ever  be  allowed  the  control  of  a  boat  in 
such  a  place,  for  the  greatest  poSvSible  care  and  caution 
must  be  observed.  We  were  both  glad  and  thankful 
when  our  experience  was  over,  and,  while  it  is  inter- 
esting to  look  back  upon,  there  is  no  pleasure  in  con- 
templating the  possibility  of  its  revival. 

From  this  point,  for  thirty-two  miles  we  had  plain 
and  easy  sailing  and  rowing.  About  fifteen  miles 
below  the  White  Horse  Rapids  the  Tahkheena  River 
flows  into  the  I^ewes  from  the  west.  It  is  a  good 
sized  stream  with  a  slower  current  than  the  Lewes, 

Twelve  miles  further  on  and  we  entered 
LAKE    LABARGE. 

This  lake  is  about  thirty-four  miles  long,  with  an 
average  width  of  five  miles,  though  in  some  places  it 
is  much  wider.  At  times  it  is  very  windy  and  rough, 
but  when  we  reached  it,  after  rowing  for  2  or  3  miles 


NDYKE. 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.      ly 


ti  the  side  of 
t  a  few  toss- 
have   read 
he  rapids  in 
;r  will  know 
perils  to  be 
stands  still, 
he  result  is 
over.     But 
J   the  water 
id  by  going 
5,  one  must 
y.     Expert 
steer  where 
he  swirling 
he  seething 
ilhardy  per- 
f  a  boat  in 
md  caution 
id  thankful 
it  is  iuter- 
nre  in  con- 

had  plain 
teen  miles 
en  a  River 

is  a  good 

Lewes. 


r,  with  an 
2  places  it 
nd  rough, 
or  3  miles 


we  came  to  ice,  so  that  we  sledded  across.  It  was 
six  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  we  started  and  it 
took  us  13  hours  to  get  across.  This  is  the  last  lake 
of  the  series,  and  we  now  entered  .the  Lewes  River 
which  is  the  principal  tributary  of  the  Yukon.  From 
here  to  Forty  Mile  post  the  journey  is  one  of  compar- 
atively smooth  sailing  and  rov/  ng.  There  is  onl}^ 
one  point  which  looks  very  dangerous  and  that  is  at 
Five  Fingers.  There,  at  the  head  of  a  short  series  of 
rapids,  are  five  huge  masses  of  rock  rising  out  of  the 
water.  The  water  runs  swiftly  between  these  and 
the  passage  on  the  right,  being  the  deepest,  is  usually 
taken.     There  is  really  no  danger  at  the  place. 

The  Hootaiinqua  river  enters  the  Lewes  about 
twenty-eight  miles  below  Lake  Labarge,  and  thirty - 
two  miles  further  on  the  Big  Salmon  also  enters. 
These  both  come  m  from  the  East,  or  Southeast,  and 
are  large  rovers,  which  must  drain  a  vast  territor}'. 
Thirty-five  miles  below  the  Big  Salmon  the  Little 
Salmon  ri  ;er  llows  into  the  Lewes,  but,  as  its  name 
imphes  it  is  smaller  and  of  less  importance  than  its 
larger  namesake.  From  here  to  the  F'ive  Finger 
Rapids  the  course  of  the  river  is  very  tortuous,  making 
the  distance  about  fifty-three  miles,  while  in  a  straight 
line  it  would  not  be  more  than  twenty-five  miles. 
Coal  has  been  discovered  on  this  stretch  of  river,  and 
a  trader  named  George  McCormack  is  engaged  in 
opening  up  the  seam. 

Five  or  six  miles  below  Five  Finger  Rapids  are 
what  are  called  the  Rink  Rapids.  These  are  formed 
by  a  bar  of  rocks  which  looks  formidable  to  the  boat- 
men as  it  reaches  almost  entirely  across  the  river. 
The  west  side  is  as  rough  iis  Five  Fingers,  but  the 
east  side  is  a  rapid  current  with  scarcely  a  ripple. 


*?i 


I 


'I! 


Ili^i 


1'  1 


if 


I     ! 


20      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


THE   RIVER   SCENERY. 


I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  the  scenery,  which  is 
very  picturesque,  the  river  being  studded  with  hun- 
dreds of  islands.  It  has  been  my  purpose  in  describ- 
ing the  trip  to  point  out  some  few  of  the  dangers,  and, 
to  use  a  popular  expression,  "there  are  others."  I 
do  not  take  a  pessimistic  view  of  the  matter,  but  if  by 
telling  this,  I  can  keep  some  headstrong  persons  from 
rushing  into  that  country  by  that  route  without  proper 
equipment  or  experience,  I  shall  be  gratified.  The 
trip  down  the  Lewes  to  the  Yukon  at  the  site  of  old 
Fort  Selkirk,  and  thence  past  Stewart  river,  Sixtj'^- 
Mile  Post,  the  Klondyke  river,  Fort  Reliance  to 
Forty-Mile  Post,  our  objective  point,  was  made  with- 
out incident  of  a  startling  nature.  In  the  later  pages 
of  this  book  the  details  of  distances  will  be  given. 

I  know  now  that  on  that  journey  we  passed  over 
untold  millions  of  %  old  hidden  awa^'  in  the  bed  of  the 
rivers  and  creeks.  Part  of  it  we  returned  up  the  river 
to  secure,  but  that  is  another  part  of  the  story. 

We  were  three  months  making  the  trip  from 
San  Francisco  to  Forty-Mile  Post,  including  the 
time  we  spent  for  preparation  at  Juneau.  During 
this  journey  we  used  almost  every  kind  of  locomotion 
known  and  followed  in  these  regions.  In  crossing 
the  Chilkoot  Pass  we  went  back  and  forth  three 
times  in  order  to  get  all  our  supplies  to  where  the 
sleds  and  dogs  could  transport  them  to  Lake  Bennett. 
Here,  as  before  described,  we  constructed  our  boat 
in  such  a  manner  that,  when  necessitated  by  the 
ice,  we  could  convert  it  into  a  sled.  From  this  point 
on  we  rowed,  sailed  and  sledded  until  the  open 
waters  of  the  Lewes  were  finally  reached,  when  we 


I 
'% 


^NDYKE. 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  k'LONDYKE.     21 


ery,  which  is 
d  with  hiiii- 
e  in  describ- 
iangers,  and, 

others. ' '     I 
ter,  but  if  b)^ 
persons  from 
thout  proper 
itified.     The 
-  site  of  old 
river,  Sixtj'- 
Reliance   to 
i  made  with- 
later  pages 
i  given, 
passed  over 
e  bed  of  the 
up  the  river 
ory. 

trip   from 

luding    the 

••      During 

locomotion 

n  crossing 

orth   three 

where  the 

:e  Bennett. 

I  our  boat 

d    by   the 

this  point 

the   open 

when  we 


coiitinucd  to  row  and  sail  to  our  destination.  At 
times  we  took  the  dogs  into  the  boat.  This  was  when 
the  wind  and  ice  were  favorable  for  swift  sailing,  our 
sled  making  sometimes  ten  and  more  miles  an  hour. 
When  our  speed  was  slow  the  dogs  walked  or  ran, 
and,  occasionally  they  helped  tow  the  sled  over  the 
ice.  Of  course  the  dogs  were  always  taken  aboard 
when  we  came  to  the  open  water. 

During  the  journey  it  never  grew  dark,  but  day 
was  brighter  than  night.  We  stopped  for  camp 
every  twelve  hours  or  so,  either  on  shore,  in  tents,  or 
in  the  boats  which  were  provided  with  stoves.  When 
in  the  boats  at  night  we  raised  the  tents  over  the 
stoves  and  our  beds,  so  that  we  were  very  comfortable. 
There  was  no  difficulty  experienced  in  finding  wood  for 
fael,  as  the  rivers  and  lakes  were  generally  lined  with 
it.  For  protection  each  man  did  relief  watch  duty 
when  we  were  sailing,  although  we  did  not  deem  this 
necessary  when  we  were  camped  on  shore. 


DARK    DAY5   NOT   OVER. 


Although  we  had  arrived  safely  at  Forty-Mile 
Post  our  hardships  were  by  no  means  over.  This 
is  the  center  of  operations,  and  we  had  to  decide 
whither  we  would  go.  In  the  spring  of  the  year  it  is 
impossible  to  me  the  sledge  and  dogs,  and  one  must 
therefore  be  his  own  pack  horse  and  tramp  through 
creeks  of  piercingly  cold  water,  and  mud  and  slush 
galore.  Under  such  adverse  conditions  a  strong  man 
cannot  carry  more  than  from  fifty  to  seventy-five 
pounds,  and  even  if  he  has  decided  upon  an  objective 
spot,  or  is  going  to  a  claim  already  located,  a  number 


.iniii 


iU\ 


■,ii 


22      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 

of  such  wearisome  trips  are  necessary  to  convey  the 
needful  amount  of  supplies.  If  the  miner  be  pros- 
pecting it  is  even  more  difficult,  as  he  must  take  with 
him  on  each  Sip  all  he  needs  to  enable  him  to  eat  and 
sleep  while  nis  prospecting  lasts.  \ 


JUST  BEFORE  DAWN, 


I  have  heard  the  saying  that  the  darkest  hour  is 
just  before  the  dawn.  That  was,  indeed,  my  ex- 
perience in  the  Yukon  valley  after  our  arrival  at 
Forty- Mile  post.  When  we  reached  there  we  were 
so  hardened  by  the  labors  of  the  trip  that  we  were 
able  to  stand  almost  any  kind  of  life,  so  long  as  we 
had  enough  to  eat.  Of  all  places  Forty-Mile  was 
the  dullest.  There  were  plenty  of  men  there  at 
times,  in  fact,  more  men,  it  seemed,  than  there  was 
work  for.  We  could  secure  no  work  even  had  we 
desired  to  labor  by  the  day,  so  we  spent  a  few  days 
resting  and  then  struck  out  for  ourselves  on  a  pros- 
pecting tour.  We  went  down  the  river  for  fifty 
miles  or  more,  to  American  Creek,  on  the  America'n 
side  of  the  border.  In  this  vicinity  we  prospected 
all  summer  without  success.  There  were  times,  of 
course,  when  we  became  discouraged  and  wished  we 
were  at  home  again  if  only  for  a  little  while,  but  as 
that  was  out  of  the  question,  we  kept  digging. 
That  was  my  "darkest  hour,"  for  the  dawn  was 
coming  sooner  and  brighter  than  I  knew.  We  con- 
sumed all  the  provisions  we  had  in  our  whole  sum- 
mer's work  and  returned  to  I'orty-Mile  for  more 
supplies.  They  were  hard  to  get,  but  we  got  them. 
I  do  not  now  remember    what   they  cost,  but  it  was 


fCE. 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.      23 


ivey  the 
be  pros- 
ike  with 
I  eat  and 


;  hour  is 
,  my  ex- 
ir rival  at 
we  were 
we  were 
ng  as  we 
Mile  was 

there  at 
there  was 
1  had  we 
.  few  days 
Dii  a  pros- 
r  for  fifty 
America'!! 
prospected 

times,  of 
vvished  we 
ile,  but  as 

digging- 
iawii    was 

We  co!i- 

/hole  sum- 

;  for  more 

got  them. 

but  it  was 


such  a  sum  that  would  make  any  city  grocer  a  million- 
aire if  he  could  sell  his  stock  at  such  prices.  There 
were  many  men  there  who  had  had  similar  exper- 
iences to  ours,  and  some  of  them  were  more  discour- 
aged by  far,  for  we  had  never  given  up  hope  of 
striking  something.  In  spite  of  the  disappointments 
there  was  plenty  of  fun  there. 


BONANZA  CREEK, 


While  we  were  there  at  Forty-Mile  the  discovery  of 
large  deposits  of  gold  on    Bonanza  Creek  was  made 
and  the  news  spread  rapidly,  as  all  such  news  seems 
to  in  that  country.     We   at    once    started    for    that 
creek  and  staked  several  claims.     These  we  did  not 
work  much   for    the    reason    that  our  supplies  were 
again    getting    rather    low    and    we  had  to  go  back 
to  the  Yukon  for  more  grub.    Perhaps  a  little  descrip- 
tion of  the  geography   of  the    country  will  serve  to 
explain  the  situation.     Bonanza  Creek  is  a  tributary 
of  the  Klondyke  River.     At  the  mouth  of  the  Klon- 
dyke  is  Dawson    City.     Bonanza  Creek  empties  into 
the  Klondyke  a   short  distance  above  Dawson  City. 
In  order  to  reach  Dawson  City  from  where  our  first 
claim  lay  we  had  come  down  Bonanza  Creek  to  the 
Klondyke  and  thence  to  its  mouth. 


EL  DORADO  DISCOVERED. 


When  we  were  en  route  to  Forty-Mile  Post  for 
supplies  we  camped  one  night  at  the  mouth  of  a  small 
stream  now  known  as  I{1  Dorado  Creek,  which  empties 
into  Bonanza  Creek  about  i8  miles  from  its  mouth. 


24      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


.  .  '  i 


Little  did  we  think  when  we  pitched  our  camp  there 
how  near  we  were  to  fortune.  While  the  others  were 
getting  supplies,  Keller  and  I  went  up  the  creek 
prospecting.  What  we  found  surprised  us,  for  we 
saw  the  most  promising  signs  of  gold  that  we  had 
yet  seen.  The  surface  prospects  were  such  that  we 
were  amazed  and  delighted.  We  did  not  have  to 
work  long  before  we  found  enough  to  show  us  that 
right  here  we  could  work  and  secure  a  return  which 
we  had  not  expected.  We  went  bci^k  at  once  to 
the  camp  and  told  the  others,  who  at  first  would 
not  believe  what  we  said.  We  must  have  partially 
convinced  them,  however,  for  they  agreed  to  go 
with  us  and  see  for  themselves,  and  that  settled  it. 
We  all  knew  that  we  had  something  better  than 
Bonanza  Creek  offered  and  we  JiCtermined  to  hold  it. 
Aftc-  carefully  prospecting  the  place  we  staked  our 
claims  and  determined  to  work  them  for  all  there  was 
in  them.  It  was  only  four  days  before  the  news  of 
our  discovery  had  spread  over  the  country,  and  in  a 
short  time  that  entire  creek  for  twelve  miles  was 
staked  and  preparations  were  being  made  to  work 
it.  We  got  the  five  first  claims,  and,  I  believe,  the 
best  ones.  Those  of  us  who  were  there  first  beside 
myself  were  Keller,  Frank  Phiscator,  Anton  Standard 
and  a  man  named  Whipple.  The  discovery  was  made 
about  September  ist,  and  cold  weather  had  set  in  so 
that,  until  we  were  prepared  for  it,  we  could  not  wvork 
the  claims  properly.  We  built  our  cabins  of  rough 
logs  chinked  with  moss  to  keep  out  the  cold  winds, 
and  to  keep  in  the,  heat.  Lumber  is  useful  only  for 
doors  and  floors.  To  clear  away  the  snow  and  erect  our 
cabins  so  as  to  be  comfortable  for  the  winter  was  no 
easy  task,  and  we  expended  two  months'  l^bor  in  t^iis 


'KE. 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.     25 


np  there 
lers  were 
he  creek 
for  we 
we  had 
that  we 
have  to 
us  that 
ni  which 
once  to 
:st  would 
partially 
id    to    go 
settled  it. 
itter  than 
to  hold  it. 
;taked  our 
there  was 
le  news  of 
,  and  in  a 
miles  was 
e  to  work 
ilieve,  the 
irst  beside 
1  Standard 
was  made 
id  set  in  so 
i  not  work 
i  of  rough 
;old  winds, 
ill  only  for 
d  erect  our 
ter  was  no 
ibor  in  t^iis 


direction.  At  times  we  would  work  a  little  on  our 
claims,  but  it  was  not  until  we  got  ready  to  live  com- 
fortably that  we  began  the  work  in  earnest-  We 
knew  we  had  to  stay  there  all  winter,  so  we  fixed  our 
quarters  the  best  way  we  could. 


BURNING  AND  PANNING. 


It  was  nearly  Christmas  before  we  got  the  first  good 
return.  Bedrock  there  is  from  six  to  twenty  feet 
below  the  surface,  and  as  every  inch  of  the  surface 
dirt  is  frozen,  it  was  hard  to  get  out.  The  process  of 
burning  out  the  ground — that  is  building  fires  over 
the  claim  and  thawing  the  dirt — is  interesting  enough 
to  be  described  here,  though  accounts  have  often  lieen 
given  of  the  method  followed. 

Most  of  the  pay  dirt  in  the  side  creeks  is  covered 
over  with  a  layer,  generally  several  feet  thick,  of  soft 
muck.  This,  of  course,  freezes  solid  in  the  winter  w^hen 
all  the  mining  is  done.  No  slucingor  panning  can  be 
done  when  everything  is  frozen  up,  so  we  have  a  long 
period  of  mining  and  a  short  period  of  panning  out. 
When  pay  dirt  is  found  we  lay  out  the  place  where  we 
intend  to  make  our  shaft,  a  space,  say,  four  by  eight 
feet.  On  this  we  lay  wood  which  has  been  cut  into 
four-foot  lengths.  The  first  laj^er  is  placed  a  little  dis- 
tance apart.  Then  a  cross  layer,  closely  packed,  is 
placed  above  the  first,  and  another  across  this,  and  so 
on.  The  fire  is  then  applied  at  the  bottom,  and  as 
the  logs  burn  they  thaw  out  the  ground  and  make  it 
accessible  to  the  pick  and  shovel.  This  burned  dirt 
and  gravel  are  thrown  out  from  as  far  down  as  possi- 
ble, and  another  fire  built.  And  thus  the  alternate 
burnings  and  shovelings  continue  until  ])edrock  is 
reached.     The  pay  dirt  as  it  is  brought  to  the  surface 


m 


i  mill 


26      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 

is    piled    on    a    dump    ready    for  sluicing  when  the 
warm  weather  comes. 

From  bedrock  we  tunnel  into  the  pay  gravel,  by 
following  up  the  burning-out  method.  But  tun- 
neling we  lay  the  wood  difFeient  from  the  method 
followed  when  burning  for  a  shaft.  After  laying 
down  the  lowest  section  of  logs,  a  little  distance  apart, 
and  one  or  two  cross  layers  above  it,  the  next  layer 
in  reared  up  in  a  slanting  position  against  the  wall. 
As  the  fire  burns,  the  heat  is  kept  under  this  slant- 
ing layer  of  logs  and  forced  upon  the  side  wall 
instead  of  the  ceiling,  as  would  be  the  case  with  a 
straight  pile  of  logs.  The  result  is,  that,  by  and  by, 
the  upper  part  of  the  wall  as  it  thaws,  begins  to 
fall  in,  but,  the  gravel  dropping  on  the  slanting 
logs,  slips  to  the  ground  without  putting  out  the 
fire.  Thus,  rapid  progress  is  made,  for,  during  the 
night,  when  thus  partially  covered  with  gravel,  the 
wood  becomes  charcoal,  and,  with  intense  heat,  slowly 
smolders  away. 

When  we  are  working  underground  these  fires  are 
always  laid  at  night  after  finishing  the  day's  work, 
so  that  the  wood  can  burn  all  night. 

As  soon  as  the  fire  has  burnt  itself  out  and  the 
gases  have  all  escaped,  the  thawed  out  gravel  is 
shoveled  into  the  buckets  and  is  hoisted  to  the  top 
of  the  dump.  But  the  cold  is  so  intense  that  it  is 
a  common  thing  for  the  gravel  to  be  frozen  almost 
solid  ere  it  reaches  the  surface,  so  tliat  it  requires 
hard  work  to  force  it  from  the  bucket.  Thus,  slowly, 
the  work  of  drifting  into  the  gravel  and  bringing  it 
to  the  surface  goes  on.  Had  powder  been  included  in 
our  mining  equipment  we  could  have  made  greater 
progress  by  blasting. 


\ 


m 


/hen  the 

ravel,  by 
tun- 
method 
laying 
ce  apart, 
ext  layer 
the  wall, 
his  slant- 
dde    wall 
je  with  a 
y  and  by, 
)egins    to 
I  slanting 
g  out  the 
uring  the 
Tavel,  the 
;at,  slowly 

Be  fires  are 
ly's  work, 

It  and  the 
gravel  is 
to  the  top 
;  that  it  is 
zen  almost 
it  requires 
us,  slowly, 
bringing  it 
included  in 
ade  greater 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.     27 

As  soon  as  spring  comes,  preparations  are  made 
for  sluicing.  The  water-ways  are  put  in,  and  as 
soon  as  the  warm  hands  of  the  sun  release  the  bonds 
winter  has  placed  on  everything,  the  gravel  is  washed 
and  the  gold  taken  out. 


CLAinS  4  AND  5. 


When  it  came  to  dividing  up  the  five  claims  our 
party  of  prospectors  had  staked  out,  claims  4  and  5 
were  awarded  to  three  of  us— Clarence  Berry,  Frank 
Keller  and  myself.  We  worked  faithfully  on  these 
claims  until  the  thaw  set  in,  and  then  set  to  work  to 
sluice  out  our  gold . 

I  do  not  care  to  go  into  particulars  too  fully,  as  I 
do  not  desire  to  be  classed  among  those  who  have  been 
bragging  about  that  country  without  telling  also  of  its 
dangers  and  hardships.  Let  it  be  sufficient  when  I 
say  that  out  of  claim  five,  from  a  space  less  than 
eighty  feet  square,  the  three  of  us  cleaned  up,  between 
January  ist  and  the  middle  of  May  more  than 
$150,000. 

While  all  the  claims  on  the  Eldorado  did  not  pan 
out  as  rich  as  these  two,  yet  I  presume  there  were  fully 
two  million  dollars  worth  of  gold  taken  out  on  that 
creek  alone  in  those  four  months,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  the  work  was  all  done  with  the  crudest  possible 
appliances  and  under  the  worst  disadvantages. 


RICH  PANS  OF  DIRT. 


The  richest  pan  of  dirt  to  my  knowledge,  taken  out 
on  El  Dorado  was  from  Claim  32.  It  netted  $1,300. 
The  largest  pan  I  ever  made  personally  was  one  of 


m  'I 


l!';l  !| 


'i!i!  ii 


28      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 

$775.  The  great  nugget,  which  I  discovered,  and 
still  have  in  my  possession,  taken  out  from  our  claim, 
weighs  thirteen  ounces  and  is  worth  $231.00,  and  as  a 
specimen  it  is  valued  at  $500.00. 


HARD  WORK. 


Was  it  hard  to  find?  Well,  no;  but  there  was 
plenty  of  hard  work  about  i'.  Almost  all  of  it  was 
coarse  gold,  and  there  is,  we  know,  more  gold  in  that 
dirt  which  we  washed  out,  but  the  particles  were  too 
fine  to  notice  easily.  We  will  doubtless  work  it  all 
over  again  when  we  go  back,  for  we  are  going  back 
next  year.  Bear  in  mind  that  each  claim  when  I  was 
there  was  five  hundred  feet  long  and  we  only  worked 
a  space  about  eighty  feet  square.  How  much  more 
gold  is  there  no  man  can  tell  Other  miners  above 
us  were  equally  successful.  Many  of  the  nuggets 
could  be  poked  out  with  a  stick  or  a  pocket  knife,  out 
of  the  frozen  dirt  which  was  thrown  up. 


nORE  GOLD  TO  BE  HAD. 


Such  is  the  richness  of  the  Klondyke  region.  In 
spite  of  the  fact  that  such  quantities  of  gold  have 
been  found,  I  am  almost  certain  that  the  country  has 
not  been  scratched  as  yet.  The  water  shed  of  the 
Yukon  is  almost  as  large  as  the  Mississippi  valley, 
and  while  I  do  not  say  that  gold  can  be  found  all  over 
it,  there  are  many  places  in  the  interior  where  the 
foot  of  white  man  has  never  trod,  where  are  rich  dis- 
coveries yet  to  be  made.  Some  of  these  places  cannot 
now  be  reached  on  account  of  the  fact  that  they  are 
so  remote  from  points  of  communication  with  the  out- 


% 


YKE. 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KI.ONDYKE.      20 


ered,  and 
ur  claim, 
,  and  as  a 


here  was 
of  it  was 
)ld  in  that 
5  were  too 
'ork  it  all 
oing  back 
hen  I  was 
ly  worked 
auch  more 
lers  above 
e  nuggets 
;  knife,  out 


egion.  In 
gold  have 
ountry  has 
hed  of  the 
ippi  valley, 
md  all  over 
where  the 
ire  rich  dis- 
aces  cannot 
at  they  are 
ith  the  out- 


side world  that  no  party  could  get  supplies  to  them. 
It  would  be  impossible  for  a  party  to  carry  their  own 
supplies,  because  of  the  distances  and  roughness  of 
the  country.  They  might  get  far  into  the  interior, 
but  how  could  they  live  a  year  and  travel  from  place 
to  place  prospecting  ?  I  would  not  care  to  be  the  one 
to  advise  any  man  to  try  it.  The  Klondyke  country 
is  even  now 'filling  up  with  inexperienced  men  who 
know  nothing  of  woodcraft,  boating  or  camping,  but 
have  been  raised  without  hard  work.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  such  men  will  materially  suffei,  though 
some  of  them  may  strike  it  rich  and  be  able  to  endure 
the  frightful  hardships. 


riANNER  OF  LIVING. 


Everything  considered,  our  claims  located  and  our 
prospecting  over,  we  managed  to  make  ourselves 
fairly  comfortable  in  the  winter  time.  We  built  huts 
of  rough  logs,  and  protected  ourselves  from  the  cold 
by  closing  all  the  places  where  the  air  could  get  in  by 
chinking  them  with  moss.  Our  food  was  necessarily 
of  the  plainest  possible  kind,  for  delicacies  had  not 
reached  Alaska  then,  and  we  did  not  need  ice  cream. 
Bacon  was  by  no  means  the  only  meat  we  had.  The 
Indians  supplied  fresh  meat  all  the  time.  As  moose, 
caribou  and  bear  are  numerous,  we  got  all  we  wanted 
of  that  kind  of  meat.  The  vegetables,  of  course,  we 
either  took  with  us  or  purchased  there,  and  so  far  as 
food  was  concerned  it  was  just  what  was  needed. 
Plenty  of  food  could  be  purchased  if  you  had  the  price, 
and  if  you  had  not  you  could  get  a  bite  at  almost  any 
miner's  table.     To   come  to  a  man's  house  at  meal 


m 


'III 


80      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 

time,  and  not  accept  the  invitation  to  eat  which  was 
invariably  offered,  was  to  insult  the  one  who  made 
the  offer. 

The  only  fresh  vegetables  we  were  able  to  purchase 
there  were  turnips  and  lettuce.  We  enjoyed  these 
immensely.  They  were  raised  on  the  roofs  of  the 
cabins,  which  being  covered  with  one  or  two  feet  of 
soil  and  moss,  warmed  from  below  by  the  heat  of  the 
cabin,  and  from  above  by  the  heat  of  the  sun,  made 
excellent  gardens. 

In  winter  drinking  water  is  obtained  by  first  select- 
ing a  place  where  the  ice  is  thick  and  clear,  then 
blocking  it  out  and  melting  as  occasion  requires. 


THE  CONDHi     :  OF  LABOR. 


Necessarily,  the  conditions  that  govern  labor  in 
new  raining  camps,  like  those  on  the  Yukon  and 
Klondyke,  varj''  with  great  rapidity  in  the  early  days 
of  their  existence.  Uo  to  the  time  I  left,  laborers 
or  miners  were  in  demand,  and  were  commanding 
$io  to  $15  per  day  lor  six  to  ten  hours  services.  We 
worked  thirtj^-five  men  on  our  claim  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  winter,  and  could  have  given  employment 
to  many  more.  But  it  must  l)e  rememl)ered  that  from 
now  on  the  probabilities  are  that  there  will  be  a 
glut  in  the  labor  market,  unless  the  extent  of  the  gold 
fields  increase  in  proportion  to  the  great  influx  of 
population. 

Skilled  mechanics  command  no  greater  pay  than 
industrious,  able-])odied  men,  but,  as  the  po])ulation 
increases  skilled  labor  will  be  more  in  demand  and 
will  command  its  proper  price. 


which  was 
who  made 

:o  purchase 
joyed  these 
ools  of  the 

two  feet  of 
heat  of  the 

sun,  made 

first  select- 
clear,  then 
luires. 


CLEMEN TS'  C.UIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.     31 
MINER'S   CODE   OF   MORALS   AND   LAWS. 


irn  labor  in 
Yukon  and 
2  early  days 
eft,  laborers 
^oraraandinfT 
r  vices.  We 
f  the  greater 
employment 
ed  that  from 
will  be  a 
t  of  the  gold 
;at  influx  of 

vc  pay  than 
e  po])ulation 
ilemand  and 


The  miners  are  free  enough  with  each  other  so  long 
as  everybody  does  his  share,  but  as  soon  as  a  man  is 
known  to  be  taking  unfair  advantage,  cheating  or 
otherwise  conducting  himself  in  a  manner  at  variance 
with  the  miners'  rather  liberal  code  of  ethics,  the 
country  becomes  a  little  warm  for  him,  even  if  the 
temperature  is  fifty  degrees  below  zero.  Several  men 
have  been  run  out  of  the  country  for  shady  transac- 
tions, and  others  have  not  been  so  fortunate  as  to  be 
able  to  get  away. 

In  spite  of  the  presence  there  of  the  Canadian 
mounted  police,  the  miners  have  their  own  laws  about 
matters  which  interest  them  directly.  More  than  one 
man  has  felt  the  rope  because  he  was  caught  stealing. 
The  supposition  that  every  man  is  honest  is  followed 
so  long  as  a  ninn  acts  honestly,  but  once  he  gets  the 
name  of  being  otherwise,  he  might  as  well  leave. 

On  the  way  to  the  gold  fields  and  through  that 
country  at  fref[uent  intervals  there  may  be  seen 
bundles  of  goods, — packs  which  have  been  left  there  by 
their  owners  until  they  can  return  for  them.  These 
packs  contain  food,  clothing,  picks,  etc,  and  are 
plainly  marked  so  that  they  can  be  identified.  If  a  man 
comes  across  one  of  them  and  is  hungry,  he  can  take 
what  he  wants  for  immediate  use  and  if  he  cannot  pay 
for  it  he  has  only  to  leave  a  note  telling  the  owner  just 
what  he  took  and  why,  and  who  he  is.  Nothing  is 
ever  thought  of  that.  If,  however,  he  were  to  steal 
the  pack  and  be  caught  with  it,  he  would  be  more 
than  likely  to  dangle  at  the  end  of  a  rope. 


. 


■'^!i:|.i| 


ihuS^! 


:ii!!iili 


'  I 


32      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


FAKE   BOOMERS   HATED. 


If  there  is  one  class  of  men  whom  the  miners  hate 
and  despise  more  than  another  it  is  that  class  who  go 
to  the  mines,  make  their  fortunes,  and,  coming  out, 
tell  stories  of  the  great  richness  of  the  country  without 
telling  what  dangers  and  hardships  are  to  be  encoun- 
tered. Some  of  this  class  will  be  responsible  for  the 
life  of  many  a  poor  fellow  who  is  even  now  attempting 
to  reach  the  interior  where  he  has  been  led  to  believe 
he  can  pick  up  gold  wherever  he  goes.  The  effect  of 
some  of  these  stories  has  been  to  send  thousands  of 
men  into  a  country  which  contains  supplies  enough 
for  hundreds  only.  That  there  will  be  suffering  and 
death  for  many  of  them,  instead  of  the  fortunes  they 
expect,  is  certain.  Should  some  of  the  men  who  have 
started  these  stories  go  back  there,  and  some  of  them 
will,  they  will  be  given  a  bullet  or  two,  and  they 
deserve  it,  too.  They  have  been  the  cause  of  filling 
the  camps  with  hungry  mouths,  and  as  the  miners 
will  help  all  they  can,  it  means  that  nearly  all  must 
suffer.  There  is  no  selfishness  in  this  feeling  among 
the  men  already  there,  but  they  know  what  the  trip 
means  and  they  know  what  it  is  to  be  there  in  winter 
with  only  a  small  supply  of  food.  That  crisp,  cold 
atmosphere  serves  to  whet  a  man's  appetite  until  he 
requires  more  food  than  he  would  need  at  home. 


REDUCTION   OF  CLAIMS. 


'I  \ 


iiPiliiii 

i'! 


Ml  t 


I  have  noticed  in  the  press  dispatches  that  the 
Canadian  government  has  decided  to  reduce  the  size 
of  the  claims  to  oJie  hundred  feet  instead  of  five  hun- 
dred feet,  as  the  miners'  laws  allow.     If  they  try  it  I 


DYKE. 


niners  hate 
ass  who  go 
oming  out, 
try  without 
be  encoun- 
>ible  for  the 

attempting 
to  believe 
^he  effect  of 
lousaiids  of 
ies  enough 
iffering  and 
rtunes  they 
n  who  have 
me  of  them 
o,  and  they 
5L  of  filling 

the  miners 
rly  all  must 
^ling  among 
hat  the  trip 
re  in  winter 
t  crisp,  cold 
ite  until  he 

home. 


les  that  the 
uce  the  size 
of  five  hun- 
they  try  it  I 


'n 


M 

"5 
5 

X. 

u 


i 


i:        n 


lilli 


'!! 


>li 


i! 


in 


'->         1 

a 
o 


0! 


a 
o: 

tl 
b 
it 
tl 
di 
re 
m 
m 

a: 

in 

. 
in 


all 

en 


,2      S 


I 


all 


i>i 


•^ 
^^' 


IK) 
ISO 

po 
of 
mi 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.      83 


2^tJt^ 


1  >:  j' C*^ 


■•V^«, 


^ 

v; 

rt 

?. 


'J 


••  /■ 


am  inclined  to  think  there  will  be  strong  remonstrance 
offered.  No  one  is  more  ready  or  willing  to  assist  in 
the  preservation  of  order  than  the  miners  themselves, 
but  when  it  comes  to  reducing  the  size  of  their  hold- 
ings there  may  be  a  clash.  Think  what  it  means  to 
them  !  On  El  Dorado  creek  it  is  estimated  thut  the 
?  dirt  is  worth  $i,ooo  per  foot  for  twelve  miles.  Is  it 
I  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  men  will  quietly  sub- 
I  mit  to  the  seizure  of  four-fifths  of  their  holdings  ?  It 
I  may  be,  of  course,  that  the  Canadian  Government 
I  would  not  make  such  a  law  to  be  retroactive.  If  such 
'  a  law  is  made  reducing  the  holdings,  miners  coming 
;  into  the  region  will  be  required  to  submit  to  laws  then 
\  in  force.  The  injustice  would  be,  to  take  away  claims 
already  staked  and  partially  worked  by  miners  acting 
I  in  good  faith  under  the  laws  in  force  when  they 
I  entered    the  country. 

1  Up  to  the  time  I  left  there,  no  percentage  of  gold 
k  '.)und  was  taken  by  the  government,  as  has  been 
j  •   Ov-ted. 


CUSTOMS   REGULATIONS. 


% 

'it 


The  Canadian  government  is  collecting  a  duty  on 
all  goods  brought  into  the  country  from  the  American 
side.  We  had  to  pay  from  20  to  30  per  cent,  on  value 
of  our  equipment.  It  was  collected  at  Dawson  City, 
where  the  headquarters  of  the  department  had  been 
estab'ished.  vSome  miners  are  attempting  to  evade  a 
portion  of  this  duty,  and  many  of  the  persons  now 
going  there  will  escape  it  altogether,  but  the  mounted 
police  are  securing  all  they  can.  The  personal  rights 
of  the  miners  are  being  protected  by  the  authorities  as 
much  as  possible,  and  the  life  there  is  different  from 


w 


84      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


what  the  forty-niners  found  it  in  California.  The 
Canadians  undoubtedly  hate  to  see  Americans  carry- 
ing off  so  much  gold  and  they  are  trying  to  keep  all 
of  it  they  can  by  whatever  possible  regulations  thej'' 
;■«-  establish.  The  miners  know  the  law,  however, 
.  they  as  a  class  are  not  easil}'  fooled  by  any  mere 
display  of  supposed  authority.  If  an  unjust  charge  is 
made  they  apply  to  headquarters  and  it  is  set  right  or 
they  know  the  reason  why.  Mr.  Constantine,  com- 
manding the  mounted  police  and  acting  Gold  Commis- 
sioner was  in  charge  when  I  left,  but  I  understand  a 
Grid  Commissioner  has  since  been  sent  there.  Mr. 
Constantine  attended  to  the  recording  of  all  claims  and 
did  all  he  could  to  legalize  our  titles  to  our  holdings. 


FREE   AND   EASY. 


Everything  is  wide  open  in  the  towns  and  posts,  if 
I  may  use  that  expression.  A  man  can  get  almost 
any  kind  of  a  game  he  wants.  Faro  is  the  favorite, 
but  there  is  also  nearly  all  the  other  forms  of  gaming. 
I  suppose  by  this  time  a  man  can  get  a  confidence 
game  if  he  wants  it.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the 
arrival  of  so  many  people  from  the  outside  will  cause 
a  change  in  the  camps.  Men  will  have  to  lock  up 
their  gold  instead  of  keeping  it  in  bags  in  their  cabins 
as  we  did.  There  will  be  wildcat  schemes  of  a  ques- 
tionable character  exposed  and  the  tenderfeet  who 
start  them  may  inimediately  afterward  be  no  more. 
There  may  be  odd  jobs  for  such  an  official  as  the 
coroner  from  time  to  time,  but  on  the  whole  the  order 
in  that  part  of  the  country  will  be  fairly  good.  Most 
of  the  miners  are  good  citizens  who  will  support  the 
police   in   the   maintenance   of    law   and   order,  and 


C 


ThJ 
go 

iiios 

pos 
will 


'DYKE. 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.      35 


Drnia.     The 
icans  carrj^- 

to  keep  all 
latioiis  they 
w,  however, 
by  any  mere 
ist  charge  is 
;  set  right  or 
antine,  com- 
old  Commis- 
mderstand  a 

there.  Mr. 
11  claims  and 
)ur  holdings. 


so  far  as  the  civil  and   personal  rights  of  a  man  are 
concerned  he  will  be  as  safe  there  as  elsewhere. 


and  posts,  if 
1  get  almost 
the  favorite, 
IS  of  gaming. 

a  confidence 
Libt  that  the 
Lde  will  cause 
\  to  lock  up 
1  their  cabins 
es  of  a  ques- 
nderfeet  who 

be  no  more, 
official  as  the 
tiole  the  order 

good.  Most 
1  support  the 
d   order,  and 


GOLD   DUST  AS   MONEY 


Probably  at  no  place  now  or  ever  before  is  business 
so  generally  done  with  gold  dust  or  nuggets  as  a 
medium  of  exchange,  as  on  the  Klondyke.  In  buying 
a  quarter  of  moose  of  the  Indians,  or  paying  for  a  hair 
cut,  you  either  weigh  out  the  dust,  or  give  a  nugget 
of  a  size  that  you  think  contains  about  the  required 
value. 

The  miners  receive  their  wages  in  gold  dust  or  nug- 
gets, and  generally  it  is  paid  them  every  day. 

The  gold,  during  the  winter  season,  is  obtained  for 
Ibis  purpose  by  taking  some  of  the  richest  of  the 
frozen  pay  dirt  or  gravel  into  the  cabin,  where  enough 
ice  is  melted  to  secure  water  to  wash  it  out  in  what 
the  miners  term  a  mud  box. 


MOSQUITO   HEADQUARTERS. 


One  of  the  greatest  hardships  one  has  to  endure  at 
the  diggings  during  the  warm  weather  is  in  battling 
with  mosquitoes.  It  seems  that  all  the  mosquitoes  in 
the  world  have  caught  the  gold  fever  and  have 
Ussembled  along  the  rivers,  lakes  and  creeks  of  Alaska. 
They  are  the  pest  that  is  dreaded  by  all  miners  who 
go  there.  Combine  all  the  stories  of  New  Jersey 
tnosquitoes  you  have  ever  heard  with  all  that  you  can 
possibly  imagine  that  is  terrible  about  them,  and  you 
will  not  then  have  any  idea  of  what  a  pest  they  are. 
They  swarm  in  countless  millions  in  the  diggings  and 
bite    everthing    they   can.     They    will     bite   a   man 


"W: 


'"in''!  I 


'!  li! 
i 


I    !i 


u 


lliiiiillL 
111  '■  I  '.■■• 


36      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 

through  his  trousers,  or  crawl  up  his  sleeves  or 
trouser-legs  and  sting  their  victim.  I  have  seen  men 
drop  to  the  ground  and  cry  in  pain  because  of  their 
bites.  There  have  been  many  cases  of  insanity  caused 
by  them.  Mosquito  netting  is  taken,  but  it  does  not 
always  serve  as  a  complete  protection,  for  it  soon 
becomes  cumbersome  and  in  the  way  and  very  un- 
pleasant. When  the  weather  is  warr  est  the  mos- 
quitoes are  the  thickest.  After  the  netting  has  been 
discarded  by  a  miner,  and  he  attempts  to  work  with- 
out it,  he  is  soon  forced  to  retreat  to  his  cabin  to 
escape  further  battle  and  soothe  the  pain. 

Some  people  find  pennyroyal  or  spirits  of  camphor 
keep  the  pests  away  from  them,  and  at  Seattle  one  can 
buy  a  druggist's  "sure  cure"  prescription.  But  I 
tried  them  all,  and  the  mosquitoes  paid  no  more  atten- 
tion than  a  hungry  negro  would  if  a  bottle  of  rOvSe  per- 
fume were  put  between  him.self  and  a  fine  watermelon. 
The  more  "  stuff"  I  put  on,  the  more  the  mosquitoes 
botliered  me,  until,  at  last,  I  quit  using  anything  and 
let  them  go  ahead  and  suck  out  my  good  blood  while 
they  innoculated  me  with  their  poison. 


i  -I  I'       :' 


14! 


SNOW    BLINDNESS. 


In  crossing  the  mountains  and  also  at  the  diggings 
when  the  ground  is  covered  with  snow  many  persons 
suffer  from  snow  blindness.  I  have  even  seen  dogs, 
when  crossing  the  Chilkoot  Pass,  go  blind.  When 
one  is  so  attacked  he  has  to  be  killed.  The  best  pre- 
ventive of  this  painful  and  sometimes  dangerous 
affliclion  is  a  pair  of  l^lackened  or  slightly  smoked 
glasses    with   square    side    winkers.     In    purchasing 


tb^ 
the 


1st 


J,^u 


DYKE. 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.     37 


sleeves  or 
e  seen  men 
ise  of  their 
nity  caused 

it  does  not 

for  it  soon 
id  very  un- 
st  the  mos- 
ig  has  been 

work  with- 
lis   cabin  to 

of  camphor 
ittle  one  can 
;ion.  But  I 
>  more  atten- 
i  of  rose  per- 
watermelon. 
I  mosquitoes 
nytbing  and 
blood  while 


the  diggings 
nany  persons 
seen  dogs, 
)lind.  When 
'he  best  pre- 
is  dangerous 
btly  smoked 
1    purchasing 


don't  V)e  temi)ted  to  buy  green  or  blue  goggles,  or 
any  high  colored  glasses,  but  those  that  are  the  least 
smoked,— just  enough  to  take  off  the  intense  brilliancy 
of  the  sunlight  on  the  snow. 


INDIANS. 


In  a  trip  to  the  Klondyke  one  meets  with  ten  differ- 
ent tribes  of  Indians,  and  it  is  well  to  know  something 
of  their  habits,  dispt;sition  and  character. 

The  Chilcats  live  nearest  to  the  Coast,  in  the  coun- 
try immediately  surrounding  the  Lynn  Canal.  In  all, 
there  are  only  about  i,ooo  of  them  left,  and  their 
number  is  rapidly  diminishing,  owing  to  the  demoral- 
izing effects  the  white  men's  vices  have  had  upon 
them.  While  avaricious,  tricky  and  shrevved  in  mak- 
ing a  bargain,  always  forcing  a  white  man  to  pay  all 
they  possibly  can  for  their  services,  they  are  generally 
reliable  when  engaged  to  transport  supplies  across  the 
pass ;  although  cases  have  been  known  where,  on 
reaching  some  difficult  point  on  the  journey,  they 
have  endeavored  to  raise  the  price  for  which  they  had 
contracted.  When,  however,  they  do  work,  they 
"  will  make  long  journeys  across  the  mountains  into 
the  interior  with  heavy  loads  upon  their  backs,  climb 
the  moimtaiu  trails,  struggle  across  great  glaciers, 
wade  icy  streams,  and,  in  a  thinly  clad,  half-starved 
condition,  endure  privations  from  which,  to  the  tour- 
ist, it  would  seem  death  would  be  a  welcome  relief." 

Near  Dawson  and  also  at  Juneau,  the  Indians 
make  themselves  useful  in  many  ways — sawing  lum- 
ber, building  log  calkins,  unloading  steamers,  acting  as 
i  guides  to  the  miners  while  crossing  the  country,  pack- 


Iili' 


38      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


V\\ 


ii    !• 

lii 

i!  '  ' 
M 


iiiiijii!!!!! 


•Plill 


ing  provisions  to  the  miners  during  the  summer,  and 
hauling  supplies  on  dog  sleds  during  the  winter. 

The  Stick,  Copper,  and  other  tribes  of  the  interior 
are  of  the  vagabond  order,  and,  aside  from  hunting, 
are  of  little  assistance  to  the  white  men,  and  many  of 
them  positively  will  not  work  for  wages.  In  supply- 
ing the  miners  with  wild  meat  they  always  drive  a 
good  bargain.  They  are  excellent  hunters,  and  very 
skilful  in  the  management  of  their  birch  bark  canoes 
in  the  swift  waters  and  rapids  of  the  rivers. 

The  traveler  soon  notices  that  there  are  but  few  old 
bucks  or  squaws  in  the  Copper  Tribe.  It  is  related 
that  during  one  of  the  attacks  of  the  Copper  In- 
dians upon  the  Yukon  tribes,  in  1882,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  stealing  all  the  young  squaws  of  the  Yukons, 
the  Coppers  were  not  aware  of  the  fact  that  the 
Yukons  had  received  a  nnmljer  of  guns  and  rifles 
from  the  traders.  The  attack  was  made  with  the 
crude  and  antiquated  weapons  of  warfare  of  long 
ago,  such  as  clubs,  stone  axes,  bows  and  arrows,  etc., 
and  they  met  with  the  direst  defeat.  It  was  .simply 
annihilation  for  all  the  warriors  of  the  Copper  tribe, 
and  nianj^  of  the  squaws  were  also  slain. 


RETURN  TO  CIVILIZATION. 


At  the  close  of  our  first  season's  successful  opera- 
tions we  decided  to  visit  home  for  the  winter.  So, 
arranging  all  our  work  for  the  coming  year,  we  left 
Dawson  City  June  19th,  of  this  year,  1897,  on  the 
steamer  P.  B.  Weare,  and  came  down  the  Yukon 
nearly  two  thousand  miles  to  ^''s  mouth,  and  thence 
to  St.  Michaels. 


thi 

ri) 

trJ 


)YKE. 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.     H9 


nmer,  and 
[iter. 

he  interior 
n  hunting, 
id  many  of 
In  suppiy- 
lys  drive  a 
5,  and  very 
lark  canoes 

but  few  old 
[t  is  related 
;:opper   In- 
or  the  pnr- 
he  Yukons, 
Lct  that  the 
s  and  rifles 
ie  with  the 
re   of   long 
UTOWS,  etc., 
was  simply 
opper  tribe, 


I. 

essful  Opera- 
winter.  So, 
year,  we  left 
1897,  on  the 
the  Yukon 
I,  and  thence 


Nothing  of  an  exciting  nature  was  experienced 
con'ing  out,  since  it  was  smooth  sailing  down  the 
clear  and  chilly  Yukon.  Occasional  stops  were  made 
to  throw  wood  aboard  for  fuel,  which  was  supplied 
by  the  Indians  for  "any  old  thing"  the  boat's 
ofificers  chose  to  thrust  upon  them.  Herds  of  moose 
and  caribou,  and  numerous  bear  were  seen,  and  occa- 
sionally the  Indians  would  bring  us  some  of  their 
meat. 


PEOPLE  FLOCKING  IN. 


At  the  time  of  our  leaving  Dawson  City,  people  in 
large  numbers  were  arriving  frequently,  usually  in 
squads.  An  amusing  incident  occurred  a  short  time 
before  we  left.  A  big,  black  bear  was  seen  standing 
on  an  ice  floe,  floating  down  the  river  towards  Dawson. 
He  had  evidently  attempted  to  cross  the  stream  when 
the  ice  broke  up  and  set  him  adrift.  He  was  acv'.ng 
the  "  Pathfinder,"  or  drum  major,  for  soon  the  arri- 
val of  seventy-five  boats  of  new  comers  occurred. 
The  bear  became  the  target  for  a  host  of  shots  and 
was  soon  dispatched  by  the  "Mayor"  of  Dawson 
City.  The  meat  was  then  divided  equally  between 
the  rival  cities  of  Dawson  City  and  Klondyke,  which 
occupy  sites  on  opposite  shores  of  the  Klondyke 
River. 


OUR  RETURN  ROUTE. 


The  Yukon  route  for  coming  out  was  selected  for 
the  reason  that  at  that  time  of  the  year — June — the 
river  is  open  and  afforded  a  through  trip  without 
transfer  of  any  kind  from  Dawson  City  to  St.  Michaels, 


1::! 


'in!! 


mm^\ 


40      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 

while  the  Chilkoot  Pass  route  would  have  required 
portage  around  the  rapids,  and  packing  over  the  pass 
itself.  But  the  pass  route  should  be  taken  either 
going  in  or  coming  out  when  the  Yukon  is  not  open, 
which  is  the  case  between  the  middle  of  September  and 
May  or  June  of  the  following  year.  Therefore,  those 
who  take  the  trail  route  in  March  or  April  will  arrive  at 
Dawson  City  ahead  of  those  who  wait  until  the  mouth 
of  the  Yukon  at  St.  Michaels  is  clear  of  icebergs — late 
in  June.  At  the  same  time,  it  must  not  be  forgotten 
that  the  Yukon  route  is  round-about,  for  to  reach 
Dawson  City  from  San  Francisco  or  Seattle  this  way, 
'  is  at  least  3,000  miles  further  than  by  the  Chilkoot 
Pass  route. 

I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  Pass  route  within  five 
years  will  be  the  popular  route,  since  the  pass  could 
be  made  more  accessible  and  easy  to  cross  and  a  line 
of  steamboats  be  established  on  the  chain  of  lakes. 
This  would  not  require  more  than  two  transfers 
around  the  rapids,  and  would  give  a  steamer  service 
from  Lake  Lindeman  direct  to  Dawson  City.  It 
would  also  be  a  pleasanter,  and  a  much  shorter  route 
than  by  the  Yukon. 

Of  course  any  transportation  service  over  either  of 
the  routes  would  have  to  be  adapted  to  the  seasons. 
It  would  be  almost  impossible  to  get  over  the  Chilkoot 
Pass  l)etween  vSeptember  ist  and  April  ist  and  take  any 
supplies. 


AT   ST.   MICHAELS. 


At  St.  Michaels,  situated  on  an  inlet  of  Behring 
Sea,  which  is  the  Trading  Company's  headquarters, 
and  of  but  three  hundred  population,  we  embarked  on 
the  Steamer  Portland,  for  Seattle. 


nVR'E. 


ve  required 
ver  the  pass 
aken  either 
is  not  open, 
:)tember  and 
refore,  those 
vill  arrive  at 
1  the  mouth 
ebergs — late 
be  forgotten 
for  lo  reach 
tie  this  way, 
the  Chilkoot 

;e  within  five 
le  pass  could 
^ss  and  a  line 
\in  of  lakes. 
:wo  transfers 
tamer  service 
ion  City.  It 
shorter  route 

)ver  either  of 
)  the  seasons, 
:r  the  Chilkoot 
t  and  take  any 


et  of  Behring 

headquarters, 

e  embarked  on 


.14 


_2 
5 


'J 


0 


u 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.     41 


r 


"ii 


An  incident  occurred  here  which  fully  illustrates  an 
Alaskan  miner's  craving  for  fresh  vegetables  after  a 
six  months'  winter  at  the  diggings.  Just  as  we 
boarded  the  Portland  we  espied  several  sacks  of 
potatoes  and  onions  which  were  to  be  unloaded,  but 
until  each  miner  had  his  fill  of  them  raw — some  eating 
as  many  as  seven  potatoes — they  were  not  transferred 
to  the  dock.  Those  who  ate  the  onions  actually  shed 
tears  at  the  sight  of  their  companions  eating  raw 
potatoes. 

We  looked  forward  to  the  ocean  trip  to  Seattle  as 
a  great  change  from  the  smooth  and  unexciting  trip 
down  the  Yukon,  and  we  were  not  at  all  disappointed, 
for  soon  we  were  surrounded  by  icebergs  so  num- 
erous that  the  ship  had  to  lay-to  for  several  hours 
to  allow  them  to  pass  by.  Then  followed  a  rough 
sea  which  caused  the  ship  to  pitch  and  roll  until  the 
cross  bars  dipped  in  the  sea,  and  we  enjoyed  the  ex- 
citing time,  as  the  sailors  sped  aloft  to  furl  the  sails 
and  obey  other  orders  of  the  captain. 

Four  days  out  from  St.  Michaels  we  arrived  at 
Unalaska,  where  we  were  treated  to  a  most  agreeable 
change  of  scenic  diet.  Here  we  saw  gardens  and 
hillsides  blossoming  with  flowers  and  grasses,  and 
such  roses  and  violets !  I  had  never  seen  their  equal 
even  in  Southern  California,  the  land  of  flowers. 
After  having  lived  months  surrounded  by  either 
snow  banks  or  clouds  of  mosquitoes  this  seemed  a 
sure  enough  paradise.  But  it  must  not  be  forgot- 
ten that  also  in  the  arctic  circle  wild  flowers  of  the 
most  beautiful  colors  grow  profusely,  of  which  I 
secured  quite  a  collection. 

After  a  one  day's  stay  at  Unalaska  we  continued  our 
journey  to  Seattle,  where  we  lauded  about  July  15th. 


42      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


KINGS  OF  THE  KLONDYKE. 


The  excitment  caused  by  our  arrival  there  with 
so  much  gold  has  been  heralded  throughout  the 
world.  It  was  owing  to  the  way  our  gold  was 
transferred  that  we  received  the  name,  ''Kings  of 
the  Kloukyke,"  and  I  was  "accused"  of  having 
brought  home  a  four-horse  wagon  load  of  gold.  One 
item  that  has  gone  the  rounds  of  the  press 
and  has  been  copied  into  several  books  on  the  Klon- 
dyke  records  how  Mrs.  Eli  Gage,  wife  of  the  son  of 
the  Secretary  of  Ihe  Treasurj'^,  came  from  St.  Michaels 
'^n  the  Portland  to  Seattle.  She  said  :  "  This  ship  had 
on  board  the  greatest  of  the  fortune  finders.  Frank 
Phiscator,  who  went  from  Lower  Michigan,  had  $96,- 
000.  This  I  know  to  be  a  fact,  as  I  saw  the  metal. 
Clarence  J.  Berry  had  more  yet,  and  a  man  named 
Clements  seemed  to  have  a  wagon  full.  The  ^  three 
men  and  one  other  were  wise  before  they  left  the 
aver.  They  bought  all  the  claims  they  could  get, 
and  it  might  be  said  that  they  are  the  kings  of  the 
Bonanza,  the  El  Dorado  and  the  other  of  the  best 
known  creeks.  It  is  not  possible  for  any  human 
being  to  calculate  how  much  they  are  worth." 

The  wagon  load  story  ;yot  spread  abroad  in  th:"s  way. 
On  our  arrival  at  Seattle  I  went  down  to  Wells 
Fargo' s  Express  Office  to  gel  a  wagon  to  haul  up  our 
gold,  while  other  members  of  our  party  stopped  to 
guard  it.  When  the  wagon  came — a  heavy  express 
wagon,  with  four  fine  horses— the  gold  was  loaded 
into  it,  and  the  special  messenger,  handing  me  a  short 
shot-gun,  asked  me  to  sit  on  the  gold  and  help  him 
protect  it  as  it  was  taken  to  the  office.  On  our  arrival 
there  the  crowds  that  assembled  stopped  all  traffic  for 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.     43 

one  or  two  blocks,  and  they  crowded  into  the  express 
office  simply  to  see  the  bags  of  pvecious  nuggets  and 
ask  questions  about  them  and  the  region  from  which 
they  had  come. 


ON   TO   SAN    r^RANCISCO   AND   HOME. 


But  the  metal  waj  not  long  in  Seattle.  We  left  as 
early  as  possible  by  train  for  San  Francisco,  where 
the  major  part  of  my  gold  was  stored  for  a.'/hile,  and 
then,  parting  with  my  friends,  I  journeyed  with  my 
wife  and  children,  who  had  come  there  to  meet  me, 
on  to  our  home  in  I^os  Angeles. 


FACTS   ABOUT   ALASKA. 


The  following  interesting  facts  in  brief  about  Alaska 
were  prepared  for  and  published  in  the  Chicago  Times- 
Herald  b)^  Mr.  H  S.  Canfield,  and  are  so  pertinent 
and  timely  that  they  will  well  bear  repetition  in  these 
pages  : 

Alaska  is  two  and  one-half  tim'" '.  as  large  as  Texas. 

It  is  eight  times  as  large  as  all  iX  ew  England. 

It  is  as  large  as  the  South  excluding  Texas. 

It  is  as  large  as  all  of  the  States  east  vof  the  Missis- 
sippi and  north  of  the  Ohio,  including  ^'irginia  and 
West  Virginia. 

It  makes  San  Francisco  east  of  cair  center. 

Its  coast  line  is  26,000  miles. 

It  has  the  highest  mountain  in  North  America. 

It  has  the  only  forest  covered  glacier  in  the  world. 

The  Treadwell  is  one  of  its  greatest  gold  mines. 

It  has  the  best  yellow  cedar  in  the  world. 


i  I 


U      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 

It  has  the  greatest  seal  fisheries. 

It  has  the  greatest  salmon  fisheries. 

It  has  cod  barks  that  beat  Newfoundland. 

It  has  the  largest  river  in  the  world. 

A  man  standing  on  the  bank  of  the  Yukon  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  its  mouth  cannot  see  the 
other  side. 

The  Yukon  is  twenty  miles  wide  seven  hundred 
miles  from  its  mouth. 

With  its  tributaries  it  is  navigable  2,500  miles. 

It  is  larger  than  the  Danube. 

It  is  larger  than  La  Plata. 

It  is  larger  than  the  Orinoco. 

It  discharges  one-third  more  water  than  the  Missis- 
sippi. 

The  water  is  fresh  fifteen  miles  from  its  mouth. 

It  has  more  gold  in  its  basin  than  any  other  river. 

Its  color  is  beautifully  blue  to  its  junction  with  the 
White  River,  1,1 10  miles  above  its  mouth. 

Alaska  runs  1,500  miles  west  of  Hawaii. 

Yukon  basin  gold  is  estimated  at  $5,000,000,000 

The  necessary  eruptive  force  for  the  formation  of 
great  fissure  veins  is  everywhere  evident  in  Alaska. 

Silk  should  be  worn  next  the  body,  then  woolens 
and  then  furs. 

Citric  acid  should  be  taken  to  prevent  scurvy. 

The  food  there  produces  rectal  diseases.  Take 
medicine. 

Snow  glasses  should  not  be  forgotten. 

Nowhere  are  mosquitoes  so  numerous. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  poisonous  flies. 

There  are  no  snakes  in  Alaska. 

Moose  are  plentiful.  The  flesh  resembles  Imrse 
flesh. 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  K TON  DYKE.      45 


Capital  of  stock  companies  organized  to  do  business 
in  Alaska  aggregates  $200,000,000. 

It  is  probable  that  in  twelve  months  Dawson  will 
be  Avithin  four  days  of  Juneau. 

In  central  and  northern  Alaska  the  ground  is  frozen 
to  a  depth  of  two  hundred  feet. 

Snowfall  in  the  interior  is  very  light — 6  inches  or  so. 

The  heaviest  rain  and  snow  are  on  the  southeast 
coast. 

No  land  contains  finer  spruce  timber. 

In  its  low  temperatures  gold  filling  in  teeth  con- 
tracts and  falls  out.     Use  amalgam. 

Men  born  in  southern  latitudes  have  become  insane 
in  the  long  dark. 

Take  a  chess  board  and  men.  They  prevent 
dementia. 

The  medicine  chest  should  hold   pills,  pills,  pills. 

A  temperature  of  seventy- five  degrees  below  zero 
has  been  recorded. 

When  it  gets  lower  than  50°  there  is  no  wind. 

A  tent  is  as  good  as  a  house  and  is  cheaper. 

No  shelter  is  needed  only  when  the  wind  blows. 
At  other  times  a  sleeping  bag  answers  all  purposes. 

Just  below  rapids  ice  forms  only  nine  feet  thick, 
and  there  fishing  is  done.  In  other  places  it  will 
reach  forty  feet. 

In  the  dark  season  twilight  lasts  six  hours  and 
almost  any  kind  of  work  can  be  done. 

Elk,  caribou  and  grouse  are  common  and  easily 
killed. 

Don't  eat  snow  or  ice.     Melt  them.     Else  quinzy. 

In  low  temperature  the  inside  of  the  throat  some- 
times freezes.     This  is  locally  called  ''  frost  burning." 

For  frozen  fingers  use?  cold  water. 


46      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


;i  ' ' 


You  can  bathe  only  the  feet  and  face. 

Sweat  under  blankets  in  summer  or  get  rheuma- 
tism. 

In  summer  all  land  not  mountain  is  swamp. 

Under  foot  is  ice  cake,  overhead  twenty- two  hours 
sun. 

Boil  underclothing.  Freeze  sleeping  bags,  to  pro- 
tect yourself  from  vermin. 

Talk  on  the  ice-pack  is  heard  half  a  mile. 

An  expert  placer  lalner  can  pan  dry. 

Alaskan  "dust  "  is  as  big  as  wheat. 

Some  gold  is  fine  enough  to  float. 

Wear  silk  gloves  and  then  fur. 

The  Eskimo  is  virtuous,  the  Chilkat  is  not. 

Canadian  police  are  highly  efficient. 

Reindeer  will  be  the  future  locomotives. 

Alaskan  dogs  are  wonderfully  intelligent —the 
result  of  selection  and  heredity. 

The  natives  eat  much  decayed  fish. 

Thousands  of  miners  irom  other  nations  will   go. 

A  Chicago  company  leads  in  Alaskan  exploration. 

Hay  grows  as  high  as  a  man's  head. 

All  streams  show  true  gold  fissures. 

Take  plenty  of  flour.  Buy  all  you  think  you 
need,  then  buy  more.  Last  winter  a  man  killed 
himself,  because  he  had  five  pounds  of  baking  pow- 
der and  no  flour. 

Under  act  of  Congress  communities  of  miners  can 
make  their  own  laws. 

No  thief  ^■ets  a  fairer  trial  anywhere,  nor  any 
prompter  execution. 

Make  caches  en  platforms  six  feet  high.     Wolves. 

It  will  pay  yoi-.  to  wait  a  year  or  two.  It  costs 
$i,ooonovv  and  will  cost  $200  then. 


CLEMENrS^  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


47 


All  distances  are  gigantic.     It  is  2,000  miles  from 
bitka  to  Klondyke. 

A  boat    leaving    Dawson    September  20  is  chased 
to  the  mouth  by  freezing  water. 

All  wood  in  the  Aleutian  Islands  grew  on  glaciers 
m  Alaska. 

Whole  forests  break  into  the  sea. 
Some  streams  are  bridged  by  glaciers 
Some  wood  is  beautifully  polished  by  glacial  action. 
Avalanches  in  the  interior  are  unknown. 
Owing  to  the  dryness  there  is  not  much  suffering 
from  the  cold.  ^ 

Take  a  40-80  rifle  with  telescope  sights. 

Exposed  portions  of  the  body  freeze  in  three  min- 
utes. 

Enough  library:     One  Bible.     One  Shakespeare. 
Snow  shoes  not  needed  in  the  mine  country. 
Buy  mines  from  discouraged  miners. 
Trading  companies  will  not  carry  goods  for  com- 
petitors. 

Next  year  competition  will  bring  down  the  prices 
50  per  cent. 

Meals  on  the  boat  up  the  river  cost  |i  each. 


48      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


\\   I' 


CHAPTER  II. 

HOW  TO    REACiTtHE   KLONDYKE. 


SHALL  I  GO  TO  THE  KLONDYKE? 


The  questions  asked  of  me  oftenest  since  ray  return 
from  the  Klondyke  gold  fields  are: 

What  are  the  prospects  for  one  who  goes  to  Alaska? 

Would  you  advise  me  to  go  ? 

These  are  both  important  and  serious  questions; 
important  and  serious  to  the  man  asking  them,  and 
equally  important  and  serious  to  the  man  answering 
them.  In  answering  them  I  presuppose  that  the  man, 
(or  woman,  for  I  have  often  been  asked  these  ques- 
tions by  a  woman),  asking  them  is  seeking  honest 
advice,  on  which  to  a  certain  extent  he  will  act  in 
deciding  whether  to  go  or  not.  His  hopes  of  wealth 
depend,  perhaps,  upon  my  answer,  and  I  know  full 
well,  that  many  a  man's  life  has  been  sacrificed  to  fol- 
lowing bad  advice  given  in  answer  to  the  two  above 
questions.  Hence  the  aujAverhig  of  them  is  a  most 
solemn  and  .serious  matter  to  me. 

I  write  thus  fully  and  freely  in  the  commencement 
that  there  may  be  no  misunderstanding  of  my  position. 
I  am  determined  that  no  man  shall  be  able  to  come  to 
me,  when  I  return  to  Alaska,  and  say,  "  Because  I 
followed   your   advice,  which  was  thoughtlessly  and 


xu 


■Ji 


Ua 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.      19 

carelessly  given,  I  am  here  and  in  desperate  straits!  " 

Hence,  if  I  make  any  mistakes  in  the  following 
answers  and  explanations  they  are  errors  of  judgment 
and  knowledge,  and  not  errors  caused  by  carelessness 
or  indifference. 

Now,  having  thus  fully  relieved  my  mind,  I  answer 
the  two  forementioned  questions  by  saying: 

If  you  must  go  to  the  Klondyke  country  and  cannot 
rest  until  you  do,  go  by  all  means,  regardless  of  the 
advice  given  by  those  who  have  been  there  ;  bat  if 
you  have  any  regard  for  your  comfort,  or  perhaps  for 
your  life,  or  if  you  have  any  family  ties,  think  twice 
before  starting,  and  then  think  seriously  again.  Learn 
as  much  as  you  can  of  the  country,  and  what  the  jour- 
ney means,  for  it  is  about  an  even  chalice  now  that 
unless  you  do  you  may  never  return.  In  getting  there 
every  man  must  endure  hardships  of  some  kind, — that 
is  certain.  But  it  is  not  equally  certain  that  every 
man  will  obtain  the  wealth  he  desires  after  he  has  un- 
dergone those  hardships.  Therefore,  I  neither  say 
"Go!"  nor  "  Stay!" 

I  am  fully  satisfied  there  is  gold  there — tons  of  gold 
— but  too  much  has  been  said  and  written  about  it, 
and  much  too  little  about  the  hardships  and  perils  to 
be  encountered. 


INSTFiUCTIONS  ABOUT  OUTFIT,  ETC. 


Other  questions  frequently  asked  are :  What 
outfit  is  necessary  and  what  will  such  a  trip  cost  ?  I 
know  these  are  natural  questions,  but  to  answer 
them  is  not  so  easy.  I  will  try  to  give  you,  in  a 
general  way,  a  list  of  just  what  a  man  needs  ;  but  let 
me  say,  the  equipment  depends  not  only  on  the  size 


50      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


of  a  man's  purse,  but  upon  the  man  himself,  it 
were  better  to  go  into  that  country  with  ten  times 
as  much  food  as  is  needed  and  a  little  money,  than 
to  take  a  small  supply  of  food  and  plenty  of  money, 
for,  once    there,   money   will    not  always  buy  food. 

The  matter  of  clothing  is  not  of  so  great  importance 
as  that  of  food,  for  clothing  can  be  obtained  with 
comparative  ease — that  is,  clothing  such  as  will 
keep  out  the  cold. 

Every  man  who  starts  should  take  along  enough 
food  to  last  him  a  year  at  least.  Tv/ice  that  much 
would  be  so  much  the  better,  for  food  can  always 
be  disposed  of  there.  Another  point  to  be  consid- 
ered is  the  selection  of  such  food  as  will  not  spoil 
for  a  long  time.  The  cold,  of  course,  acts  as  a  pre- 
servative, but  it  will  not  keep  all  kinds  of  eatables. 
Good  coarse  food  that  nourishes  is  the  kind  needed, 
and,  as  I  have  before  stated,  that  climate  gives  a 
man  an  enormous  appetite.  If  a  man  is  going  to 
stay,  say  eighteen  months,  the  following  would  answer 
his  purpose.     It  can  be  varied  to  suit  the  taste: 


!   i 


PROVISIONS. 

Bacon,  200  pounds. 

Flour,  800  to  1,000  pounds. 

Corn  meal,  200  pounds. 

Rice,  50  pounds. 

Coffee,  parched,  75  pounds. 

Assorted  dried  fruits,  200  pounds. 

Tea,  40  pounds. 

Sugar,  100  pounds. 

Beans,  200  pounds. 

Evaporated  vegetables,  any  large  amount. 

Milk  (condensed),  i  or  2  cases. 


CLEMENTS^  GUfDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


51 


This  list  can  be  changed  to  suit  the  person  taking 
It.  my  purpose  in  giving  it  being  simply  to  give  some 
idea  of  the  quantity. 

One  expert  gives  a  month's  list  as  follows,  the 
tools  he  names  being  for  the  purpose  of  making  a 
boat  at  Lake  Bennett  and  keeping  it  in  repair  on 
the  trip  : 

Twenty  pounds  of  flour,  with  baking  powder. 

Twelve  pounds  of  bacon. 

Six  pounds  of  beans. 

Five  pounds  of  dessiccated  vegetables. 

Four  pounds  of  butter. 

Five  pounds  of  sugar. 

Four  cans  of  milk. 

One  pound  of  tea. 

Three  pounds  of  coffee. 

Two  pounds  of  salt. 

Five  pounds  of  corn  meal. 

Pepper,  mustard. 

The  following  utensils  would  not  be  too  many  : 

One  frying  pan. 

One  water  kettle. 

One  Yukon  stove. 

One  bean  pot. 

Two  plates. 

One  drinking  cup. 

One  teapot. 

One  knife  and  fork. 

One  large  and  one  small  cooking  pan. 

Gill  net  for  fishing. 

The  following  tools  are  necessary  for  boat  building  • 
One  jack  plane. 
One  whipsaw. 
One  hand  saw. 


52      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KI.ONDYKE. 

One  rip  sav/. 

One  draw  knife. 

One  axe. 

One  hatchet. 

One  pocket  knife. 

Six  pounds  of  assorted  nails. 

Three  pounds  oakum. 

Three  pounds  of  pitch. 

Fifty  feet  of  five-eighths  rope. 

Other  necessities  would  be  a  tent,  a  rubber  blanket, 
mosquito  netting  and  matches.  It  is  also  desirable  to 
take  along  a  small,  well  filled  medicine  chest,  a  rifle, 
a  trout  line  and  a  pair  of  snow  glasses,  to  provide 
against  snow  blindness. 

The  wood  working  tools  taken  should  include 
everything  needed  for  almost  any  kind  of  rough  car- 
penter work,  from  the  buiMing  of  a  boat  or  a  sled  to 
-the  erection  of  a  cabin,  the  putting  in  of  sluice  boxes, 
hoisting  buckets,  water  flumes,  etc.  It  should  be 
remembered  that  where  a  large  party  goes,  one  or  two 
complete  sets  of  tools  for  woodwork  will  be  sufficient. 


CLOTHING. 


sn. 


The  equipment  in  clothing  necessarily  depends 
upon  the  person.  A  whole  clothing  store  is  not 
necessary.  Underwear,  both  heavy  and  medium 
weight,  of  good  quality,  is  needed,  and  a  most  impor- 
tant matter  is  the  proper  covering  for  the  feet. 
Rubber  hip-boots,  good  woolen  socks,  strong  boots 
and  shoes,  are  necessary,  for  much  walking  will  have 
to  be  done.  There  are  no  street  railways  in  the 
Klondyke.  Two  or  three  heavy  sweaters  will  be 
found  to  be  worth  more  than   their   weight  in   gold. 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDVKE.     53 


The  miners  in  that  country  always  adopt  to  a  certain 
extent  the  dress  of  the  natives,  and  in  such  dress  it  is 
not  difficult  to  keep  warm.  Great  range  in  tempera- 
ture must  be  expected.  The  average  temperature  in 
winter  is  40  degrees  below  zero,  and  it  will  sometimes 
vary  40  or  50  degrees  in  one  or  two  hours.  That,  of 
course,  adds  to  the  discomfort,  but  one  must  go 
expecting  such  things. 

Take  a  fur  robe,  eight  feet  wide  by  ten  feet  long, 
made  of  skins  with  a  long,  light  hair,  like  a  fox  or 
lynx  or  cub  bear.  A  full  grown  bear's  skin  is  too 
heavy.  These  can  be  bought  in  San  Francisco  or 
Seattle  for  one  third  or  one  fourth  the  amount  that 
must  be  paid  for  them  on  the  Klondyke.  Although 
this  is  a  country  of  fur  bearing  animals,  the  Alaska 
Commercial  and  other  Trading  Companies  buy  up  all 
the  furs  from  the  trappers  and  natives,  so  that  the 
miners  have  no  opportunity  to  obtain  them  except  at 
exorbitant  prices.  A  good  fur  robe,  however,  is 
invaluable,  being  worth  four  pairs  of  ordinary 
blankets  for  warmth  and  comfort. 

As  advice  in  regard  to  clothing  varies  considerably, 
I  quote  herewith  from  a  very  practical  man.  Mr. 
Brownlie,  in  an  interview,  says  : 

'  *  I  think  a  great  many  people  are  making  a  mistake 
in  their  clothing  outfit.  One  should  take  as  little  as 
possible,  as  he  will  need  all  his  strength  to  carry  the 
necessary  provisions  and  himself  over  the  '  divide.' 
What  he  needs  are  skins  and  furs,  and  they  can  gen- 
erally be  bought  to  much  better  advantage  in  Juneau 
than  anywhere  else.  When  you  are  out  in  the  snow 
and  ice,  woolens  and  blankets  will  do  you  little  good. 
A  man  should  live  as  much  like  the  Indians  as  pos- 
sible.    The  best  protection  against  the  cold  is  a  bag 


54      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 

made  of  skin,  thoroughly  oiled,  large  enough  to  hold 
a  man. 

"  A  man  can  get  into  such  a  bag  and  draw  it  tightly 
about  his  neck,  having  his  head  covered  with  furs, 
and  he  can  pass  a  fairly  comfortable  night,  half-buried 
in  the  snow.' ' 

Remember  also  to  take  needles  and  thread.  A  good 
rifle  of  large  caliber  and  a  revolver  using  the  same 
size  cartridge  will,  of  course,  be  taken,  for  game  is 
plentiful. 

MEDICINES. 


It  is  well  to  be  provided  with  a  small  medicine  chest 
well  filled  with  all  the  simpler  forms  of  medicine,  ban- 
dages, surgical  needles,  etc.  One  never  knows  what 
may  happen,  and  it  is  well  to  be  personally  provided. 
Any  reputable  druggist  will  put  up  such  a  chest,  with 
remedies  for  colds,  coughs,  chilblains,  diarrhcea,  con- 
stipation and  the  like,  and,  as  scurvey  sometimes 
seems  to  claim  quite  a  number  of  victims,  it  is  well  to 
have  a  good  supply  of  a  blood  purifier  and  an  anti- 
scorlentic.  Lime  juice  is  a  good  preventive  of  scurvey 
and  a  few  bottles  will  always  come  in  useful. 


POWDER   FOR   BLASTING. 


In  none  of  the  published  lists  that  I  have  seen  has 
blasting  powder  been  mentioned.  My  experience, 
however,  assure."  me  that  it  would  be  a  great  help  to 
the  miner,  "nd  that  every  outfit  ought  to  have  at  least 
two  hundred  or  three  h.  'idred  pounds,  with  the 
necessary  hammers  and  di il-  for  drilling,  as  well  as  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  f'.i'^e. 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.     55 


PREPARE   FOR  THE  MOSQUITOES. 


Read  what  I  have  said  about  the  mosquitoes  in 
summer  time  earlier  in  these  pages,  and  then  decide 
for  yourself.  Some  use  the  ordinary  mosquito  netting, 
and  no  doubt  all  persons  will,  some  time  or  another, 
find  it  useful.  Others  have  had  helmets  of  very  fine 
copper  wire  netting  made  to  fit  over  a  broad  brimmed 
hat — not  too  heavy  an  one — and  a  black  cloth  bottom 
to  it  which  is  placed  over  the  chest  and  shoulders 
between  the  undershirt  and  overshirt.  Ir-  ^is  way 
perfect  freedom  of  movement  is  allowed  to  the  head 
and  shoulders,  and  yet  the  pest  cannot  crawl  in  under- 
neath the  netting.  In  this  matter,  however,  as  in  all 
ethers,  each  person  must  decide  for  himself  how  to 
meet  the  pests.  Do  not  allow  yourself  to  think, 
though,  that  the  mosquitoes  are  a  trifling  matter,  to 
be  lightly  passed  by.  As  someone  has  written  :  "  The 
Yukon  mosquito  is  king  of  his  tribe.  He  actually 
hunts  and  kills  bears  along  that  mighty  river.  This 
is  told  and  pictured  by  no  less  an  authority  than 
Lieut.  Schwatka  in  his  well-known  published  account 
of  his  exploration  of  the  Yukon  a  number  of  years 
ago.  Bears  under  stress  of  hunger  sometimes  come 
down  to  the  river  in  mosquito  season,  and  are 
attacked  by  swarms  of  insects,  which  sting  them 
about  the  eyes  so  that  they  go  blind  and  die  of  starva- 
tion. A  prominent  Yukon  miner  said  that  the  mos- 
quito had  been  known  to  bite  through  a  thick  moose 
skin  mitten." 

PRPCE   OF   OUTFIT. 

A  complete  outfit  will  cost  between  $750  and  $1000. 
Don't  go  into  that  country  without  at  least  $500, 
or  more. 


56      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


i 


The  entire  outfit  can  be  obtained  in  Juneau,  where 
one  can  be  sure  of  getting  just  what  is  needed,  without 
any  extra  weight,  which  is  a  matter  of  great  import- 
ance, as  many  hard  portages  are  to  be  encountered  on 
the  trip.  Hitherto  prices  in  Juneau  have  been  reason- 
able. Of  course  one  cannot  say  what  may  be  the  re- 
sult of  the  present  rush  in  the  way  of  raising  prices. 

These  lists  ought  to  give  a  thoughtful  man  a  fair 
idea  as  to  what  he  should  take  to  be  safe.  I  would 
advise  that,  at  present,  these  supplies  be  purchased  at 
Seattle,  or  inquiries  made  of  reliable  parties  there  to 
find  out  whether  they  can  surely  be  obtained  at 
Juneau.  When  we  purchased,  we  found  the  prices 
for  food,  clothing  and  mining  supplies  about  the  same 
at  Juneau  and  Seattle  as  in  San  Francisco,  and,  in 
purchasing  at  the  former  places,  the  trouble  and 
expense  of  shipping  so  far  is  avoided.  Of  course  it  is 
quite  possible  that  now  these  things  can  be  purchased 
on  the  Klondyke,  but  prices  no  doubt  would  be  very 
high.  I  bought  shovels  at  Dawson  and  paid  $17.00 
each  for  them,  and  picks  at  $8.00. 


FRAUDS   IN   OUTFITTING. 


In  making  your  purchases,  be  sure  and  visit  some 
reputable  tradesman  in  whatever  city  you  purchase. 
Beware  of  slop-shops,  frauds  and  bogus  outfitters. 
Many  a  merchant  in  San  Francisco  and  along  Puget 
Sound  is  getting  rich  selling  prospective  miners  bogus 
outfits,  and  they  might  as  well  steal  their  victims' 
money.  The  poor,  green  tenderfoot  who  knows  not 
what  he  needs,  is  gathered  in  and  induced  to  buy  a 
vast  amo'.int  of  goods  for  which  he  has  no  earthly  use, 
and  which  he  will  throw  away  before  he  crosses  the 


CLEMENTS^  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.     hi 

pass.  The  goods  are  of  an  inferior  quality  and  the 
poor  fellow  is  started  on  the  journey  in  almost  as  bad 
a  fix  as  if  he  had  nothing.  I  suppose  there  is  no  way 
of  stopping  this  traffic,  but  it  will  cause  untold  suifer- 
ing  to  hundreds. 

ACTUAL  PRICES   PAID  AT  DAWSON  CITY. 

The  following  is  a  recent  list  published,  giving  the 

prices  of  a  general  store  in  Dawson  City  : 

Flour,  per  loo  pounds |i2  qq 

Moose  ham,  per  pound i  o^ 

Caribou  meat,  per  pound 5^ 

Beans,  per  pound ^^ 

Rice,  per  pound 

Sugar,  per  pound ~ 

Bacon,  per  pound 

Butter,  per  roll i    tq 

Eggs,  per  dozen ^ 

Better  eggs,  per  dozen 2  00 

Salmon,  each j/ to     ^  ^^ 

Potatoes,  per  pound 

Turnips,  per  pound 

Tea,  per  pound ^  ^^ 

r^  re  I  00 

Cottee,  per  pound 

Dried  fruits,  per  pound 

Canned  fruits . . 

50 

Canned  meats 

Lemons,  each ^ 

„  20 

Oranges,  each 

Tobacco,  per  pound j 

Liquors,  per  drink 

Shovels    ^ 

Picks '50 

' 5  00 


58      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 

Q,r  -«1  oil,  per  gallon  i  oo 

Overalls i  50 

Underwear,  per  suit $5  to     7  50 

Shoes 5  00 

Rubber  boots $10  to  15  00 

Another  list  of  prices  paid  may  be  useful,  as  show- 
ing amounts  actually  expended  in  August,  1897,  at 
Circle  City,  Alaska.  This  outfit  was  ordered  by  C.  A. 
Be  van,  of  Iowa,  an  experienced  miner,  and  copied  by 
his  courtesy,  from  the  original,  by  Palmer  Henderson : 

io  sacks  flour  at  $5 %  50  00 

Jiacon,  120  lbs 48  00 

Beans,  2  sks 19  25 

Dried  peas    i  sk.,  50  lbs 10  00 

Rice,  I  sk . ,  50  lbs 10  00 

Rolled  oats,  5  sks.,  50  lbs 5  50 

Sugar,  I  sk.,  50  lbs. 20  00 

Lard,  1  case,  60  lbs 18  00 

Peaches,  i  bx. ,  25  lbs 7  50 

Apples,  I  bx.,  25  lbs 7  50 

Prunes,  i  bx.,  25  lbs 7  50 

Raisins,  2  bxs. ,  20  lbs 2  50 

Dried  potatoes,  i  bx.,  25  lbs 

Dried  onions,  5  cans,  5  lbs. .    5  00 

Dried  cabbage,  5  cans,  5  lbs 3  75 

Baking  powder,  5  cans,  5  lbs 5  00 

Butter,  25  rolls,  50  lbs 25  00 

Eagle  milk,  i  case  48  lbs 20  00 

Candles,   i  box,  25  lbs 6  00 

Coffee,  20  lbs 10  00 

Tea,  5  lbs 5  00 

Salt,  2  sks. ,  10  lbs i  00 

Pepper,  4  cans,  i  lb 2  00 

Mustard,  2  cans,  i  lb 2  00 


v^^\ 


OR!" 


CLEMENTS^  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE,      59 

Mixed  pickles,  4  jars,  i  gal. \^ 

Tomatoes,  i  case,  72  lbs 

r^  '  12    00 

Corn,  I  case,  .-«  lbs g 

Corned  beef,  1:,  cans,  24  lbs .  ....  5  ^^ 

Sausage,  12  cans,  24  lbs ^ 

Vinegar,  3^  gal.  5  lbs ..'.'. °° 

Maple  syrup,  %  gal.  5  lbs " .  .'      ^    .^ 

Toilet  soap,  12  bars,  6  lbs ' .' ^  ^^ 

Uundry  soap,  12  bars,  12  lbs.  .  .  .        j 

Matches,  8  bunches ^ 

Seal  smoking  tobacco,  i  butt,  10  lbs re  ^ 

Oil,  5  gals.  40  lbs ■■■ ^  °° 

2  picks. .  .  ^     ° 

„      ,  ,  12    GO 

2  shovels 

1  gold  pan ^  °° 

2    GO 

■  2  pairs  gum  boots. 

24    OG 

2  pairs  overalls .  . 

s  00 

1  suit  mackinaw. 

ro  oG 

SUMMER. 

2  pairs  gum  boots .  . 

,  24    OG 

1  pair  shoes 

2  pairs  overalls.  . 

Hat '^^'^^^^'^'''^^. '  °° 

Mosquito  net.      .  

3  00 

WTNTKR. 

Caribou  or  rabbit  robe 

Wolf  or  lynx  robe .  1  . 

^..^^  .  ( roG  go) 

Mittens,  3  pairs,  at  $2.50 ^ 

Moccasins,  5  pairs  at  $1.50 "  "       ' 

Waterboots,  i  pair  

Cap .;;; 3°° 

Drill  poncho ^  ^° 

Fur  poncho '^  °° 

Underwear  for  year 

■*  25    GO 


Tl 


60      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 

Diusmore's  bedding,  including  pillow  for  traveling, 
weight  6^  pounds,  explained  my  boyhood's  wonder 
how  a  man  could  take  up  his  bed  and  walk. 

From  these  lists  it  will  be  seen  that  prices  vary,  and 
a  man  must  decide  for  himself  when,  where  and  how 
he  will  outfit.  The  state  of  his  purse,  his  object  in 
going,  the  length  of  his  stay,  the  amount  of  time  he 
can  spend  going  in,  and  other  considerations  will 
influence  him  in  his  decisions.  I  have  given  my  sug- 
gestions and  advice  to  the  ordinary  miner,  who  has 
money  enough  to  pro  ide  all  be  will  need  for  business 
and  comfort. 


DETEniNATION  OF   ROUTE. 


This  is  one  of  the  most  important  matters,  and  yet 
one  of  the  most  difficult,  both  to  advise  about  and  to 
decide  upon.  As  my  narrative  in  the  earlier  pages 
states  I  went  in  by  the  Chilkoot  Pass,  and,  in  spite  of 
all  the  difficulties  and  dangers,  I  am  incHned  to  think 
it  is  the  best  and  safest  route,  as  it  certainly  is  the 
quickest.  But  each  man  must  decide  for  himself. 
When  I  returned  I  came  down  the  Yukon  to  St. 
Michaels,  and,  therefore,  I  am  familiar  with  that  way 
out.  These  two  routes  are  the  only  ones  I  know  per- 
sonally. I  will  give  here,  however,  a  few  statements 
in  regard  to  other  routes  which,  while  I  do  not  guar- 
antee through  personal  knowledge,  I  think  may  be 
relied  upon. 

The  wisest  plan,  however,  for  the  prospective 
traveler  to  follow,  will  be  to  investigate  the  condition 
of  the  various  routes  a  month  or  so  previous  to  the 
date  of  his  starting.  Thus  he  will  gain  the  latest  in- 
formation.    The  fact  that  so  many  people  are  anxious 


CLEMEN7S'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.     (U 

to  go  the  Gold  Fields,  undoubtedly  will  lead  to  the 
improvement  of  present  routes  or  the  opening  of  new 
ones  before  the  Spring  of  1898,  so  that  descriptions 
given  now  of  the  states  of  the  various  routes  may  be 
entirely  changed  by  the  time  my  readers  are  ready 
to  go. 


THE  SKAQUAY   PASS. 


Last  August  the  Skaguay  Pass  was  impassable.  At 
that  time  the  New  York  World  sent  out  Sylvester 
Scovel  with  full  instructions  to  blast  out  the  pass  and 
make  it  reasonably  accessible.  Skaguay,  then,  was  a 
wretched  place,  muddy  with  the  continuous  rains  and 
crowded  with  people  vainly  trying  to  cross  the  impass- 
able mountains.  The  town  was  built  in  a  hurry,  of 
rough  lumber,  tents,  and  the  like,  to  accommodate 
these  travelers,  and  is  situate  near  the  shore  and 
almost  surrounded  by  high  mountains.  As  one  man 
describes  it :  "  It  is  in  a  pit,  made  by  these  towering 
mountains,  which  break  the  clouds  so  that  the  rain 
pours  upon  us  in  a  perfect  deluge." 

The  same  writer,  in  a  letter  dated  August  28,  1897, 
thus  describes  the  labor  of  getting  over  the  pass  : 
"There  is  a  tremendous  press  of  men,  horses,  mules, 
donkeys,  and  bullocks,  passing  over  the  trail,  or 
mountains.  Two  rivers  to  ford  and  a  terrible  bad  and 
muddy  pass  to  get  over.  Every  night  some  of  the 
men  who  are  packing  over  the  pass  come  into  Skaguay 
for  a  day  or  two  of  rest.  They  say  it  is  mighty  hard 
work  to  pack  more  than  fifty  pounds  on  their  back 
and  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  on  a  horse.  For 
packing  over  the  pass,  a  distance  of  six  miles,  packers 
receive  nine  cents  per  pound.     In  the  first  place,  they 


i    t 


62      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


r 


take  the  baggage  and  provisions  up  to  the  pass,  a  dis- 
tance of  three  miles  in  carts.  These  carts  are  of  ho-  le 
construction  and  resemble  small  hand  carts.  Two 
poles  are  attached  for  shafts,  between  which  a  horse  is 
hitched.  One  man,  with  a  pack  on  his  back,  leads 
the  animal  while  another  guides  the  shafts  from 
behind.  It  is  the  greatest  fun  in  the  place  to  watch 
the  funny  ways  in  which  everyone  attempts  to  have 
his  baggage  and  stuff  taken  away  or  stored  in  a  tent. " 

Mr.  R.  H.  Stretch,  a  mining  engineer  of  Seattle, 
thus  reported  on  the  Skaguay  Trail,  after  a  thirty 
days'  examination.  His  report  is  dated  September  6, 
1897: 

"Skaguay  Valley  was  once-  occupied  by  a  huge 
glacier.  Near  the  lower  end  the  rocks  are  ancient 
sedimentary  or  stratified  deposits,  with  innumerable 
dikes  and  stringers  of  granitic  aspect,  but  all  the 
upper  portions  of  the  vallej'^  and  the  summit  of  the 
range  are  nothing  but  a  very  coarse  granite,  without 
any  trace  of  any  structure,  but  with  very  strongly- 
marked  nearly  horizontal  bedding  planes,  cut  by 
nearly  vertical  cleavage  joints.  The  action  of  the  ice, 
which  formerly  plowed  its  way  down  the  valley,  has 
ground  these  rocks  to  polished  surfaces,  the  vertical 
faces  supporting  only  a  few  lichens  ;  while  the  hori- 
zontal benches,  before  the  advent  of  the  gold-seekers, 
were  covered  with  a  thick  carpet  of  moss  and  lichens, 
which,  though  with  but  a  very  frail  hold  on  the  rocks, 
gave  a  sure  and  satisfactory  foothold. 

"  In  few  places  are  there  pebbles  or  boulders,  and 
but  few  rock  slides,  but  where  these  do  exist,  the  in- 
dividual boulders  are  so  large  and  massed  so  irregu- 
larly that  travel  over  them  is  more  difficult  than  over 
the  solid  unbroken  benches.     Of  earth  there  is  prac- 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.      63 


tically  none,  but  in  the  course  of  ages  a  black  vegetable 
deposit  has  accumulated  iu  some  of  the  crevices  and  in 
potholes  along  the  river  bottom.  Scrubby  timber, 
spruce,  birch  and  alder,  finds  a  foothold  in  the  crevices, 
the  latter  chiefly  in  the  wetter  bottoms,  and  over  such 
material  the  trail  finds  its  way. 

' '  Distances  from  Skaguay  are  :  First  crossing  of 
river,  one  and  one-half  miles  ;  end  of  road,  three  and 
one-half  miles  ;  small  lake,  five  miles ;  Porcupine 
Creek,  seven  and  one-half  miles  ;  second  crossing  of 
river  bridge,  eleven  and  one-half  miles;  third  crossing 
of  river  bridge,  thirteen  and  one  half  miles;  fourth  cross- 
ing of  river  bridge,  fourteen  and  one-half  miles  ;  fifth 
crossing  of  river,  ford,  seventeen  and  one-half  miles; 
summit,  nineteen  miles  ;  Meadows,  twenty-six  miles  ; 
Lake  Bennett,  forty- two  miles. 

"  Five  miles  out  at  the  lake  the  elevation  is  four 
hundred  and  sixty  feet.  The  trail  quickly  ascends  to 
eight  hundred  and  ten  feet,  then  sinks  to  four  hun- 
dred and  seventy  at  Porcupine  Creek.  In  a  short  dis- 
tance the  elevation  is  1,400,  and  the  patch  zigzags 
down  to  the  second  crossing,  1,000  feet  elevation. 
The  fourth  bridge  is  1,400  feet  above  the  vSea,  and  the 
trail  almost  at  once  goes  upward  to  2,100  feet.  A 
descent  is  then  made  to  the  ford,  1,800  feet  high,  and 
then  comes  the  climb  to  the  summit,  an  elevation  of 
2,600  feet.  From  this  point  to  the  lakes  the  trail  is 
not  extremely  difficult." 

Mr.  Stretch  says  there  is  no  danger  to  human  life  in 
making  the  trip. 


THE  WHITE  PASS. 

Five  miles  below  Dyea,  at   the   head   of  the  Lynn 
Canal,  and  about  eighty-five  miles  north  of  Juneau  is 


64      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


Skaguay  bay,  where  the  landing  is  made  for  the 
White  Pass.  This  bay  is  a  fine  natural  harbor,  and 
ships  of  the  largest  size  can  steam  into  it  and  find 
good  anchorage. 

From  the  harbor  the  trail  follows  the  vSkaguay 
river  to  its  head,  which  is  near  the  summit  of  the 
pass,  a  distance  of  sixteen  miles.  The  first  tour  miles 
are  in  the  bed  of  the  river  and  the  ascent  is 
gradual.  At  four  miles  the  canyon  is  reached,  and 
here  the  route  becomes  more  difficult.  For  seven 
miles  the  trail  works  its  way  along  the  mountain  side 
rising  steadily  for  almost  the  entire  distance.  This  is 
the  only  hard  part  of  the  route.  The  next  three  miles 
is  a  gentle  rise,  and  they  carry  the  trail  to  the  summit, 
an  elevation  of  2,600  feet  above  the  sea  level.  The 
country  here  broadens  out  into  a  valley  five  miles  wide, 
having  a  gentle  slope  to  the  east.  In  the  twenty  miles 
between  the  summit  and  Windy  Arm,  or  Tagish  lake, 
the  total  descent  is  only  340  feet.  From  the  summit, 
valleys  also  extend  to  Lindeman  lake  and  Taku  arm 
on  Tagish  lake. 

CHILKAT  PASS. 

About  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  from  the 
head  of  the  Chilkat  Inlet,  brings  the  traveler  to  the 
Tahkeena  River.  "  This  was  the  old  trail  used  by  the 
Indians  to  and  from  the  interior  and  leads  all  the  way 
through  to  old  Fort  Selkirk  by  land.  Jack  Dal  ton 
has  used  this  trail  at  times  in  taking  horses  to  the 
interior,  portaging  to  the  Tahkeena,  then  by  raft  down 
that  river  to  the  Lewes,  thus  proving  that  the  Tah- 
keena is  navigable  for  a  small  stern-wheel  steamer  for 
a  distance  of  some  seventy  miles."  * 

•  Kroni  Wilsou's  Guide  to  the  Yukon,  published  by  the  Calvert  Co., 
Seattle.  Wash. 


Dawson  Citv.  Alaska. 


St.  Michaels,  Alaska. 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDIKE,     r.5 


THE  TAKU  ROUTE. 


There  has  been  some  talk  of  a  route  being  under- 
taken by  the  Canadian  Government  to  open  up  the 
country  beyond  the  Coast  Range  from  Taku,  which  is 
full  of  timber  and  good  grazing  land.  This  route  would 
lead  up  the  Taku  Inlet  to  the  Coast  Range,  thence  by 
a  low  pass,  a  distance  of  about  eighty-five  miles,  to 
waters  running  into  Lake  Teslin;  thence  across  this 
body  of  water  and  down  the  Hootalinqua  River.  All 
the  dangerous  places  encountered  on  the  Chilkoot 
route,  as  Windy  Arm,  the  Grand  Canyon,  the  White 
Horse  Rapids,  etc,  would  be  avoided  by  following  this 
route,  except  the  Five  Finger  Rapids,  which,  as  I  have 
shown,  need  not  be  greatly  feared. 


THE  STICKINE  RIVER  ROUTE. 


Another  route  is  the  proposed  Stickine  River  route, 
somewhat  similar  to  the  Taku  route,  which  one  writer 
speaks  most  highly  of.  By  this  route  one  would 
go  to  Fort  Wrangle  from  Seattle  or  San  Fran- 
cii^co,  theice  up  the  Stickine  River,  a  distance 
of  one  hundred  and  forty  miles  to  Telegraph 
Creek.  From  this  point  an  overland  journey  of  ninety 
miles  must  be  made  to  the  head  of  Lake  Teslin,  and 
thence  down  the  Hootalinqua  to  the  Yukon. 

THE  COPPER  RIVER  ROUTE- 


1  have  been  asked  many  questions  about  this  route 
and  the  following  is  all  the  information  I  am  able  to 
give.  This  I  have  gleaned  in  conversation,  mainly 
with  the  Indians  and  traders.  The  statement  has 
been  made  that  the  Indians  do  not  desire  the  white 


m      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLQNDYKE. 


man  in  their  lerritory,  and  confirmation  is  offered  in 
the  shape  of  a  tragic  story  of  three  or  four  prospectors 
having  been  murdered  by  them.  But  on  questioning 
the  Indians  they  repudiate  the  idea  of  their  having 
caused  the  death  of  a  single  white  man,  and  say  they 
want  the  white  miners  to  go  and  have  a  trading  post 
established.  Thev  bring  in  big  chunks  of  copper  that 
seem  as  if  cut  from  a  large  brdy  with  an  axe,  and  they 
say  there  is  "  Hi-u  " — plenty  of  it,  as  well  as  "  Hi-u 
Gold."  They  offer  to  guide  white  men  to  the  de- 
posits. There  is  an  Indian  trail  across  from  Forty-Mile 
Post  to  the  head  of  Copper  River. 

From  Lt.  Allen's  Reconaissance  of  the  Copper  River, 
made  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  in  1885,  I  learn  that 
it  would  be  impossible  for  any  party  to  go  to  the 
Klondyke  by  this  route  depending  upon  the  river  as 
a  means  of  traveling.  In  a  number  of  places  boats 
would  have  to  be  totally  abandoned,  long  and  ardu- 
ous portages  made,  passes  climbed  and  new  boat.s 
built  for  a  continuation  of  the  trip.  No  person  should 
attempt  this  route  until  he  has  read  L,t.  Allen's  report. 


HACKENZIE  RIVER  ROUTE. 


The  Chicago  Inter-Ocean  of  September  14,  1897, 
contained  a  map  with  description  of  a  route  which 
might  be  taken  from  Calgary,  a  point  on  the  Canadian 
Pacific  main  line,  connecting  with  Edmonton,  a  town 
at  the  terminus  of  a  small  branch  line.  By  this  route 
one  would  go  by  wagon  trom  Edmoi.ton — a  four  day's 
journey — to  Athabasca,  landing  on  the  Athabasca 
River.  From  this  point  ^ae  trip  can  be  made  the  whole 
way    by   water — with    the  exception  r '"    a  few  short 


CLEMKXTS'  GUIDE   TO   THE  KLOXDYKE.      kM 


portages, — down  the  Atliabaska,  Slave  and  Mackenzie 
Riv'ers  to  where  the  Porcupine  flows  very  near.  Here 
a  half  mile  portage  transfers  the  boats  from  the  Mac- 
kenzie to  the  Porcupine,  and  four  hundred  miles  down 
this  river  brings  one  to  Foi ;  Yukon,  o'l  the  Yukon 
River,  where  Dawson  City,  though  three  hundred 
miles  away,  seems  very  near.  This  route  is  3,000 
miles  from  Athabasca,  but  is  recommended  as  a  safe, 
convenient  and  pleasant  route  at  all  seasons  of  the 
year.  To  one  contemplating  journeying  this  way  the 
better  plan  would  be  to  write  to  the  Inter-Ocean,  Chi- 
cago, and  ask  for  the  latest  particulars  in  regard  to  it. 


THE   YUKON    RIVER    ROUTR. 


This  is  the  easiest  of  all  the  routes,  but  it  is  the 
longest  way  around,  and  it  can  only  be  taken  after  the 
ice  has  left  the  mouth  of  the  river  in  June.  From  San 
Kranci.sro  to  St.  Michaels,  a  small  island  in  the 
Behring  Sea,  is  2,871  miles  ;  from  Seattle  2,174  miles, 
and  iVom  Juneau  2,150  miles.  Then  from  St. 
Michaels  up  the  Yukon  is  about  1897  miles.  St. 
Michaels  is  not  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yukon,  as  .so 
many  people  imaginCi  but  is  north  of  it.  For  many 
years  it  has  been  a  trading  post,  the  Alaska  Commer- 
cial Company  having  an  establishment  there,  and  the 
North  American  Trading  and  Transportation  Com- 
pany also.  Both  companies  carry  large  and  well 
selected  stocks  of  goods,  the  former  being  the  old 
trading  company,  and  the  latter  the  new  and  progres- 
sive company,  whose  river  boats,  the  P.  B.  Weare, 
John  Cudahy,  C  I[.  Hamilton,  J.  J.  Healy,  T.  C. 
Power,  and  Klondyke  will  convey  passengers  from 
St.  Michaels  to  the  Klondyke  region  as  soon   as  the 


68      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


4. 


Spring  of  1898  opens.  The  Alaska  Commercial  Com- 
pany also  has  its  boats,  one  of  which,  the  Arctic  has 
done  good  service  on  the  Yukon  for  some  years.  The 
trip  from  St.  Michaels  to  the  mouth  of  the  Yukon  is 
very  interesting.  "Many  noted  points  are  passed 
and  active  volcanoes  seen.  Wild  fowl,  fur  seal,  wal- 
rus and  whale  can  be  observed  from  the  ship's  deck 
almost  any  day.  The  curio  seeker  can  reap  a  rich 
harvest,  for  few  who  visit  this  country  have  time  or 
inclination  to  indulge  in  the  collection  of  specimens. 
The  Indians  about  St.  Michaels  are  very  ingenious 
and  industrious."*  They  have  great  faculty  in  carving 
ivory  upon  which  all  the  events  of  their  lives  are 
vividly  portrayed.  ' .' 

TH»2   CHILKOOT   PASS. 


This,  though  the  shortest  pass  to  traverse,  is  the 
highest,  being  one  thousand  feet  higher  than  any  of 
the  others.  It  is  the  pass,  however,  I  prefer,  and  by 
which  I  expect  to  return  to  the  gold  fields.  Starting 
at  Dyea,  where  the  North  American  Trading  and 
Transportation  Compa  y  has  a  large  store,  it  follows 
the  Dyea  river  for  about  eight  miles.  Then  it  enters 
the  canyon,  which  is  followed  up  to  Sheep  Camp, 
This  is  on  the  timber  line  and  from  there  on  to  the 
summit  the  scene  is  one  of  extreme  desolation.  No 
vvjgetation  of  any  kind  can  be  seen  for  miles  around 
the  summit,  and  glaciers  abound.  The  total  length 
of  the  trail  from  Dyea  to  Lake  Lindeman  is  about 
twenty-five  miles.  The  complete  journey  by  this 
route  has  already  been  outlined  in  my  personal  narra- 
tive and  will  be  still  further  explained  in  the  following 
pages. 

♦  From  Wilson's  Giiiile  to  the  Yukon. 


CLHME.Xry  CI' IDE  TO  THE  KI.ONDYKE.      G!) 


WHEN   TO   START. 


T4 
1  L 


It  is  an  important  matter  to  decide  when  to  start. 

is  a  common  thing  to  read  of  people  haviii«:  to 
W'iit  at  Sheep  Camp  a  month  for  an  opportunity  to 
cross  the  summit.  James  Brownhe  thinks  the  best 
time  to  leave  San  Francisco  is  early  in  February,  or 
not  later  than  the  middle  of  the  month,  arriving  at 
Sheep  Camp  early  in  March,  when  there  ought  to  be 
no  difficulty  in  getting  over  the  Pass.  But  .seasons 
differ,  and  in  one  year  March  might  be  the  best  pos- 
sible time,  and  another,  the  worst.  But  certain  it  is 
that  in  the  dead  of  winter  it  is  almost  suicide  to 
attempt  to  cross  the  pass,  and  in  the  late  Spring  the 
thaw  .sets  in  and  makes  traveling  dangerous  from 
avalanches  and  such  accidents  as  the  one  recently 
described  in  the  newspapers  as  occi\rriug  at  Sheep 
Camp  by  a  fall  of  snow,  boulders  and  ice. 

In  summer  the  heat  is  so  inten.se  and  the  boulders 
and  tree  roots  so  difficult  to  get  over  that  it  is  not 
wise  to  attempt  the  trip  at  this  season. 

Another  advantage  of  an  early  spring  start  is  that 
the  lakes  and  streams  are  nearly  all  frozen  over. 
This  makes  sledding  possible  for  many  miles  in  cro.ss- 
ing  the  lakes  before  the  open  water  is  reached,  and 
this  is  generally  much  easier  than  rowing,  especially 
when  the  wind  is  so  that  a  sail  can  be  hoisted. 

Therefore,  to  tho.se  who  wi.sh  to  go  over  the  Chil- 
koot  Pass  I  would  say  :  Start  .so  as  to  reach  Sheep 
Camp  some  time  in  March— the  earlier  in  the  month 
the  better  ;  and  to  those  who  wish  lO  go  down  the 
Yukon  from  St.  Mif^hriels  :  Start  en  the  steamer  that 
will  connect  with    the   first    river  lH)at,  but  don't  lie 


70      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  Til  11  KLONDYKE. 

disappointed  if  you  have  to  wait  awhile  for  the  break- 
ing up  of  the  ice. 

The  starting  time  for  the  other  routes  must  be 
determined  by  circumstances,  if  there  are  any  of  my 
readers  who  contemplate  going  by  any  one  of  them 


THE  STAJ^T. 


Outfit  provided  or  arranged  for,  route  determined 
upon,  ticket  ol)tained,  the  traveler  is  ready  for  the 
journey. 

It  is  my  purpose  under  this  heading  to  give  my  reader 
something  to  occupy  his  mind  while  on  the  steamer, 
and  thus  help  to  relieve  the  monotony  of  an  ocean 
journey. 

A  caution  or  two  may  not  be  out  of  place  and  a 
little  information  in  regard  to  the  mineral  resources  of 
the  Yukon  region,  the  game  to  be  found  and  the  min- 
ing laws  in  existence  will  enable  the  traveler  better 
to  understand  the  country  than  if  he  arrives  there 
without  this  knowledge. 

It  is  well  to  avoid  forming  fast  associations  or  part- 
nerships on  the  journey  with  strangers  of  whom  you 
know  nothing.  Wait  until  you  have  some  knowledge 
of  the  character  of  a  man  before  you  associate  your- 
self with  him  in  any  undertaking.  There  will  be  lots 
of  sharpers  and  rogues  going  to  the  Klondyke  as  soon 
as  spring  opens,  and  they  will  be  on  the  lookout  for 
every  person  they  can  victimize.  So  a  little  caution 
will  not  be  exercised  in  vain. 


i 


CLEMENTS'  CVIDE  TO  THE  k'LOXDVk'E.     71 

BOr-JS  niNINQ  CLAinS. 

Another  thing  it  is  well  for  every  man  to  beware  o^ 
and  to  have  well  fixed  in  mind.  Beware  of  bop^vis 
mining  claims.  The  sharper  with  the  alleged  mining 
stock  for  sale  is  getting  in  his  work  and  many  a  mm 
who  cannot  go  to  Alaska  is  parting  witli  his  money 
for  shares  of  stock  in  mines  which  have  no  existence. 
Of  course  there  are  many  of  the  claims  which  have 
been  sold  which  are  really  worth  the  money  and  more, 
but  I  would  say  to  a  prospective  purchaser.  Be  care- 
ful. Bu}'  from  a  reputable,  responsible  person,  if  at 
all.  Don't  gobble  up  cheap  stock,  either  before  you 
start,  on  the  way,  or  after  you  arrive  at  the  Klondyke 
Know  what  you  are  doing  before  you  part  with  a 
cent,  or  agree  either  verbally  or  in  writing  to  make 
any  purchase.  A  little  delay,  and  a  little  extra  cau- 
tion will  certainly  not  do  any  harm  and  it  may  save 
the  impulsive  and  unwary  man  from  being  swindled 
of  all  he  has,  by  unprincipled  sharpers. 


TRADING   COnPANIES. 


The  Alaska  Commercial  Company  and  the  North 
American  Trading  and  Transportation  Company,  at 
present  occupy  the  field.  But  there  will  undoubtedly 
be  a  great  opening  for  large  companie;.  if  the  gold 
regions  con  titiue  to  give  forth  their  precious  metal.  If 
companies  of  great  financial  strength  should  engage 
in  bu.sniess,  they  could  soon  command  a  large  and 
profitable  trade,  as  competition  is  always  healthy  and 
desirable. 


72      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


I    ■ 


THE     FORMATION     OF     MINING     COMPANIES. 


The  mining  laws  of  the  Northwest  Territory  of 
Canada  are  not  favorable  to  organizations  formed  for 
working  claims,  as  each  miner  is  not  only  allowed  but 
one  claim  in  each  district,  but,  should  he  dispose  of 
this  one,  he  cannot  locate  another  one  in  the  same  dis- 
trict in  the  future.  The  area  of  the  districts  varies, 
the  size  depending  mostly  on  adaptable  natural  boun- 
daries, such  as  mountain  chains,  rivers  and  creeks. 


THE  MINERAL   RESOURCES. 


Of  the  gold  resources  of  the  Klondyke  region  much 
has  been  written  and  much  more  .said.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  the  country  contains  vast  quantities  of 
gold,  as  yet  uncovered. 

There  are  large  areas  that  have  never  yet  been  pros- 
pected both  on  the  American  and  the  Canadian  sides, 
and  many  men  will  be  as  fortunate  as  we  have  been. 
But  it  is  almost  equally  certain  that  many  will  pros- 
pect in  vain. 

Gold,  however,  is  not  the  only  mineral  resource  of 
the  Klondyke  region  and  of  Alaska  in  general.  As  I 
have  said,  in  speaking  of  the  Copper  River  Route, 
there  are  wonderful  deposits  of  copper  all  through 
that  region,  and  in  many  parts  of  Alaska.  The  vast 
demand  for  this  metal  makes  copper  properties  almost 
as  valuable  as  gold,  if  the  deposit  is  rich  aiid  easily 
accessible.  Hence  some  wise  prospector  will  devote 
his  time  and  attention  to  copper,  and  gain  just  as 
much  wealth  as  if  he  prospected  for  the  more  valuable 
metal. 

The  coal  deposits  of  Alaska    arc   destined  ere  long 


!     I 


CLEMENTS'  CriDE  TO  THE  KI.ONDYk'E.     78 

to  be  exceedingly  valuable  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  There 
are  vast  beds,  and  the  country  itself,  with  its  fast  in- 
creasing population,  can  use  up  a  large  amount.  Few 
people  are  aware  that  on  Kl  Dorado  Creek  'he  wood 
used  in  thawing  out  our  ground  cost  us  about  $300  a 
cord.  Imagine  the  value  coal  would  have  to  us 
with  wood  at  such  a  price,  and  as  the  raining  regions 
increase  in  size  the  demand  for  coal  as  fuel  will 
become  imperious.  Hence  money  is  to  be  made  by 
some  one  in  controling  and  distributing  the  coal  of 
the  country. 

Of  the  iron,  platinum  and  otlie*"  valuable  minerals, 
various  reports  are  made,  and  it  is  unquestionable  that, 
some  day,  the  va.st  deposits  that  exist  will  be  utilized- 


THE  QAHE  OF  THE  YUKON. 


"g 


As  yet,  the  whole  Yukon  basin  is  almost  a  virgin 
field  for  the  hunter.  The  few  Indians  of  the  region 
do  not  kill  the  game  as  fast  as  it  increases,  so  that  the 
hunter  and  fisherman  have  good  prospects  of  fine  sport 
ahead  of  them.  The  moose  is  abimdant.  In  summer 
some  of  them  have  a  wonderful  spread  of  horns  and 
grow  to  a  weight  of  1,500  pounds.  When  fat  its  flesh 
is  always  tender  and  palatable,  and  as  it  is  not  a 
dainty  eater,  and  can  obtain  food  even  in  the  deep 
snow  time,  it  is  generally  fat,  even  in  the  early  spring. 
The  skins  are  coarse  and  l^rown  when  tanned,  and  are 
used  '.)y  the  Indians  for  gloves,  moccasins  and  cloth- 
ing and  even  for  their  lodges.  The  moose,  unlike 
other  ruminants,  is  a  fighter,  and  the  female,  single- 
handed,  will  protect  her  young  from  a  whole  pack  of 
wolves,  and  the  bull,  in  the  fall,  is  an  ugly  customer, 
even  for  the  hunter  to  tackle. 


74      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


From  that  admirable  and  reliable  work,  V.  Wilson's 
Guide  to  the  Yukon,  published  by  the  Calvert  Com- 
pany, Seattle,  and  that  every  traveler  to  this  region 
should  possess,  I  extract  the  following  information  in 
regard  to  the  game  and  fish  of  the  Yukon : 

"  The  woodland  caribou  is  found  throughout  the 
lake  and  upper  river  country.  It  averages  nearly 
twice  the  size  of  the  barren  land  caribou  or  reindeer 
and  its  habits  are  also  quite  different.  It  never  mi- 
grates toward  the  north  in  summer,  but  travels  directly 
the  opposite  way.  The  caribou  here  have  great  pow- 
ers of  endurance,  and  can  trot  at  a  gait  equal  to  that 
of  the;  best  horse.  In  deep  snow  it  is  almost  useless 
to  pursue  them,  their  wide,  flat  hoofs  and  the  manner 
in  which  they  spread  them,  enabling  them  to 
keep  quite  on  top  of  the  snow.  They  are  much  more 
stronglj'^  built  than  the  barren  land  caribou  and  the 
horns  are  much  stronger  and  rounder.  This  species 
is  almost  untamable  and  shows  no  inclination  to  work 
like  their  cousins  in  the  Bald  hills. 

"The  barren  land  caribou  or  arctic  reindeer, 
altogether  different  from  the  woodland  caribou,  occu- 
pies the  barren  hills  near  the  Arctic  circle,  where  food 
is  so  scarce  that  it  is  constantly  on  the  move,  having 
to  migrate  to  the  south  in  winter.  In  the  severest 
winters  its  range  is  many  hundred  miles  in  that  direc- 
tion. While  it  and  the  woodland  caribou  were  origi- 
nally of  one  species,  its  mode  of  living  differs  so 
widely  from  its  cousin  that  its  habits  and  appearance 
have  changed  until  it  can  no  longer  be  considered  a 
very  near  relative  to  the  noble  monarch  of  the  woods, 
that  leads  a  life  of  perfect  idleness  and  plenty  in  the 
rich,  pine-clad  lands  to  the  south.  It  is  not  to  be 
wondered  that  with  their  decrease  in  size  their  manner 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYk'E.      75 


and  temper  have  also  changed,  and  that,  with  a  little 
coaxing,  they  readily  become  beasts  of  burden.  When 
the  time  comes  for  the  dogs  to  give  way  to  their  more 
favored  successors,  everybody  in  this  great  country 
will  rejoice.  The  past  five  winters  about  Forty-Mile 
Creek  have  been  unusually  severe,  and  great  herds 
have  ranged  further  south  than  usual.  It  is  estimated 
that  no  less  than  five  thousand  were  killed  last  year  in 
this  vicinity.  The  herds  are  reported  to  numl)er  hun- 
dreds of  thousands.  Their  horns,  which  are  counted 
by  the  hundreds  on  the  Bald  Hills,  are  more  slender 
and  have  a  much  greater  spread  than  the  woodland 
caribou ;  thus  causing  them  little  difficulty  in  ranging 
the  sparsely  wooded  country.  All  are  provided  with 
the  snow  shovel,  reaching  quite  down  to  the  point  of 
the  nose,  to  assist  them  in  procuring  the  reindeer 
moss  and  lichens  in  the  country  they  inhabit.  This 
is  undoubtedly  the  reason  why  the  female  as  well 
as  the  male,  is  provided  with  antlers.  The 
endurance  of  these  animals,  if  not  over  estimated, 
is  wonderful,  and  the  ease  with  which  they  make  long 
journeys  through  deep  snow  or  over  the  soggy  moss 
of  this  country  would  well  fit  them  for  the  sleigh  or 
freighter. 

"  There  are  many  species  of  bear  in  Alaska,  and 
probably  the  St.  Elias  grizzly  attains  a  greater  size 
than  any  other  bear  in  the  world.  If  he  is  not  a 
fighter  he  is  certainly  not  a  coward.  This  bear  is 
found  in  the  St.  Elias  Alps  and  many  of  the  ranges  of 
Alaska,  but  is  more  common  in  the  high  ranges  of 
mountains  east  of  the  Yukon  River,  below  Sixty-Mile 
Creek.  On  the  Klondyke  River  they  are  so  numerous 
as  to  prevent  the  Indians  from  hunting  there  when 
fish  are  plenty.    This  bear,  like  the  whole  bear  family. 


76      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 

is  a  great  fish  eater.  It  is  during  the  fish  season  only 
that  this  bear  leaves  its  haunts  in  the  high  mountains 
for  the  lowlands.  It  likes  variety  and  is  more  of  a 
meat  eater  than  its  less  dignified  brother,  the  brown 
bear.  Several  men  who  have  come  in  contact  with 
this  bear  remember  it  to  the  extent  of  a  leg  or  arm, 
and  even  think  themselves  lucky  to  escape  with  their 
lives.  Some  of  the  skins  of  this  bear  are  enormous  in 
size,  and  one  skull  I  examined  was  beyond  compari- 
son with  anything  in  the  bear  line  I  have  ever  seen. 
The  St.  Elias  grizzly  when  young  looks  almost  white 
at  a  distance.'  It  stands  higher  than  other  bear  and  is 
wary,  even  in  this  remote  region,  beyond  any  animal 
I  have  ever  hunted.  On  the  other  hand,  the  brown 
and  black  bear  of  this  region  are  easily  approached, 
and  especially  when  nosing  along  the  banks  of  streams 
searching  for  food.  In  one  case  we  actually  ran  our 
boat  within  thirty  feet  of  one  on  a  clear  morning, 
while  our  portable  stove  was  yet  burning,  having 
cooked  breakfast  in  the  boat. 

"Mountain  Goat. — This  animal,  while  probably 
smaller  than  the  Rocky  mountain  goat  further  south, 
is  identical.  Its  weight  will  average,  perhaps,  one 
hundred  pounds,  and  both  sexes  have  horns.  Its 
home  is  on  the  cloud-swept  peaks,  surrounded  by 
Nature's  solitudes,  and  it  seems  most  content  in  its 
gloomy  surroundings,  where  the  thunderbolt  goes 
crashing  down  the  rugged  sides  of  the  canypn,  or 
where  the  steeps  are  swept  by  the  mighty  avalanche. 
Its  coat  is  well  adapted  to  its  rugged  home.  Under 
the  long  outer  hair  a  fleecy  wool  protects  it  in  its 
wonderful  leaps  from  rock  to  rock.  Its  legs  are 
straight  and  stiff  and  its  horns  are  black.  The  pelt 
makes  fine  robes  and  is  much  prized  by  the  Indians. 


M\ 


CLEMENTS'  (iUIDE  10  THE  k/.0\/))hE.      77 


Mountain  Shkkt. — This  jinimal  is  found  through- 
out Alaska,  being  more  numerous  in  the  Coast  range 
of  mountains  than  in  the  interior.  It  attains  a  much 
hirger  size  than  the  goat,  and  a  ram  may  often  he 
found  weighing  three  hundred  pounds.  It  is  among 
the  wariest  of  all  hoofed  game  of  the  American  con- 
tinent. It  is  hardly  worth  the  time  and  trouble  that 
is  usually  consumed  in  .securing  it.  Its  coat  is  of 
light  gray  color  and  some  hunters  claim  a  great  deli- 
cacy for  its  flesh. 

Lynx.-— The  North  American  lynx  is  abundant 
throughout  the  upper  river  and  lake  country.  It 
probably  attains  a  larger  size  there  than  in  any  other 
part  of  the  continent.  It  is  easily  trapped  and  any 
rifle  kills  it  readily.  Although  large  and  strong,  its 
tenacity  of  life  is  far  below  all  other  species  of  the  cat 
family.  The  pelt  is  finely  furred  and  makes  excellent 
robes.  Its  principal  food  is  the  rabbit,  which  abounds 
throughout  that  country.  Its  legs  and  feet  are  large 
and  powerful  and  well  covered  with  hair,  giving  it 
rather  a  clumsy  appearance  which  turns  to  one  of 
ludicrousness  when  frightened.  At  such  times  the 
short,  stubbed  tail  stands  erect,  the  back  is  arched, 
and  with  whiskers  standing  straight  out  it  makes  off 
by  a  succession  of  spasmodic  jumps  in  a  way  that 
often  totally  disconcerts  even  the  old  hunter. 

WoL"«ES. — Alaska,  like  all  of  North  America,  is 
more  or  less  inhabitated  by  wolves.  The  gray  timber 
wolf  of  average  size  is  found  there.  It  is  so  wary  as 
to  be  seldom  seen  by  man.  It  has  all  the  cunning  of 
the  fox  and  like  all  varieties  is  a  coward,  except 
when  found  in  great  numbers.  In  the  interior  they 
are  numerous.  In  parts  of  the  Coast  country  they 
exist  in  such  numbers  that  no  deer  are  found  on  the 


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78      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


'I 


main  land  along  the  whole  coast,  although  the  islands 
are  exceedingly  well  stocked  with  them. 

Wolverine. — This  animal  is  probably  more  plenti- 
ful throughout  the  upper  river  and  lake  sections  than 
any  other  part  of  the  world.  Its  peculiar  habits  and 
singular  appearance  are  little  known  even  to  most 
naturalists.  I  cannot  recall  ever  having  seen  it  in 
captivity.  The  body  is  heavy  and  covered  with  long 
hair  and  fur  much  prized  by  the  Indians  as  trimming 
for  their  winter  garments.  Its  legs,  although  short, 
do  not  prevent  it  from  making  long  journeys  through 
deep  snow.  As  there  is  scarcely  any  limit  to  its  food 
capacity,  it  is  continually  on  the  move,  yet  so  wary 
ard  careful  that  it  is  seldom  .seen. 

Fish. — While  the  salmon  is  by  far  the  most  im- 
portant fish  of  the  Yukon  there  are  many  varieties  of 
fine  fish,  the  ever  cold  water  keeping  their  flesh  hard 
and  palatable  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  Probably 
next  to  the  salmon  in  importance  comes  the  white 
fish,  of  which  there  are  several  varieties,  some  reach- 
ing a  good  size.  They  are  found  throughout  almost 
the  entire  river  basin , 

Lake  trout  of  good  size  are  found  everywhere  in  the 
lake  country.  A  species  of  fish  known  to  the  miner 
as  lake  cod,  is  also  found  in  the  lakes.  It  seems  to  be 
a  cross  between  the  salmon  and  white  fish,  having 
characteristics  of  each.  It  is  of  good  size  and  rises 
readily  to  a  troll.  Throughout  the  summ*. "  months 
landlock  salmon,  similar  to  those  of  Maine  and  Canada, 
abound  in  the  lakes.  Grayling  or  arctic  trout  is 
found  in  the  rivers.  It  rises  readily  to  a  fly,  the  small 
black  being  the  best.  A  small  piece  of  black  thread 
fastened  around  the  hook  will  answer  the  purpose. 
They  frequent  the  mouths  of  small  streams  and  falls 


79 


a"ci  are  found  in  o-re^.   ,        , 

and  Whffp  w^       ^  "umbers   aboiit   fi.« 

wiiite  Horse  rapids.     Pij,.   ,,      ^   ^^^  canyons 

^^e  lower  Hver,  while  the  su  ker  Tf  "T'^^"'^  ^'^^"t 
Mii.ers  provided  with  gin  "T/^  f""^  everywhere. 
"Starving.     Along  the  rf  "^^^    ^^^^^^^^  no  fenr  of 

:;^f«"  ^---h'^t  r  L;r.:;^- ;« the  ^ 

-"Bcent  to  ,.st  tbrou^aout The  ,w:tr  ?  "  =•  '^""P'^- 

'",W,^a    t,^S  OP  THE   VCKON. 

^ollowinp-   are    n       tj  ^ 

Koverntnent :  "™^'-in-council  of  th«   r-      . 

"le   Dominion 

'Bard/     ■  "'^"PRETAT.ON. 

.    ^^i"er'   shall   mean    . 
C'aiu] 'shall  mean  fi,« 

"•edgings  IS  made  ^'^^   ^"^  grant  of  such 

-"^egal  post  '  shalJ 

;  "'  °''°'-  ^l-o™!  or  raced  to  t^ab       ;"".'"'  ""■  ''"'P  <"■ 
."^  ose  season  ■  sl,alj   ,„e.,„   m  '"  '""«'"  •■""1  »fae 

ii-nfied.     The  period  to  be 


80      CLEMENTS'  GLIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


fixed  by  the  gold  commissioner  in  whose  district  the  claim  is 
situated. 

'  Ivocality  '  shall  mean  the  territory  along  a  river  (tributary  of 
the  Yukon  river)  and  its  affluents. 

•  Mineral '  shall  include  all  minerals  whatsoever  other  than 
coal. 

NATURE   AND  SIZE  OF  CLAIMS. 

1.  '  Bar  diggings,'  a  strip  of  land  loo  feet  wide  at  high  water 
mark  and  thence  extending  into  the  river  to  its  lowest  water 
level. 

2.  The  sides  of  a  claim  for  bar  digging  shall  be  two  parallel 
lines  run  as  nearl)*  as  possible  at  right  angles  to  the  stream, 
and  shall  be  marked  by  four  legal  posts,  one  at  each  end  of  the 
claim  at  or  about  the  edge  of  the  water.  One  of  the  posts  at 
high  water  mark  shall  be  legally  marked  with  the  name  of  the 
miner  and  the  date  upon  which  the  claim  was  staked. 

3.  Dry  diggings  shall  be  100  feet  square  and  shall  have 
placed  at  each  of  its  four  corners  a  legal  post,  upon  one  of 
which  shall  be  legally  marked  the  name  of  the  miner  and  the 
date  upon  which  the  claim  was  staked. 

4.  Creek  and  river  claims  shall  be  500  feet  long,  measured 
in  the  direction  of  the  general  course  of  the  stream,  and  .shall 
extend  in  width  from  base  to  base  of  the  hill  or  bench  on  each 
side,  but  when  the  hills  or  benches  are  less  than  100  feet  apart 
the  claim  may  be  100  feet  in  depth.  The  sides  of  the  claim 
shall  be  two  parallel  lines  run  as  nearly  as  possible  at  right 
angles  to  the  stream.  The  sides  shall  be  marked  with  legal 
posts  at  or  about  the  edge  of  the  water  and  at  the  rear  boun- 
daries of  the  claim.  One  of  the  legal  posts  at  the  stream  shall 
be  legibly  marked  with  the  nam2  of  the  miner  and  the  date 
upon  which  the  claim  was  staked. 

5.  Bench  claims  shall  be  100  feet  square. 

6.  In  defining  the  size  of  claims  they  shall  be  measured 
horizontally,  irrespective  of  inequalities  on  the  surface  of  the 
ground. 

7.  If  any  person  or  per''  >ns  .shall  discover  a  new  mine  and 
such  discovery  shall  be  established  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
gold  commissioner,  a  claim  for  bar  diggings  750  feet  in  length 
may  be  granted. 


m 


Kn  Route  from  Circle  City  to  the  Mines. 


P^.'.'HiSi.iSi-aSi': 


Cabin  at  Kortv-Mile  Post,  Alaska. 


CLEMENTS^  GUIDE  TO  ta^c- 

A  new  stratum  of  anWf^ 
locality  where  fh«    ,  f""ferous  earth   or  travel     v 

^o-     In  the  event  of  t?,^    i_ 

^^-     -entry  shall  not  be  Lnte^  r  '  '"  ^^'^  "^^^«^-- 

been  staked  by  the  aonHn    ?  ^""^  ^   ^^aJ«i   which    h. 

a»'a„„„1.u;;7f;7Jf*;5  3ha,l  be  charged  the  (i.t  year  a„d 

a«- a  forfeiture  of  ,he'd,S*^  "'"'■"'-'«  "^  "'^  clai„,7aa,l 

ever,  year,  .He  e„.:;l:'LCpT^  '^^;;,»is,e.  tfrepS 

'5.    No  miner  shall  receive  a  • 

e'a.m  i„  the  san,e  local  rte'r"'  <"»'°--e  "-an  one  mi„i„^ 

"rr::oirir^~.-»-T.x 
f:^z-'-  - » -  Of  r it;rr  t-eii 

""^""""^"'"-"'— .ort.a,eorai,„.eof  j 


4 


82      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


his  or  their  claims,  provided  such  disposal  be  registered  with, 
and  a  fee  of  two  dollars  paid  to  the  gold  commissioner,  who 
shall  thereupon  give  the  assignee  a  certificate  in  form '  J  '  in  the 
schedule  hereto. 

17.  Every  miner  shall,  during  the  continuance  of  his  grant, 
have  the  exclusive  right  of  entry  upon  his  own  claim,  for  the 
miner-like  working  thereof,  and  the  construction  of  a  residence 
thereon,  and  shall  be  entitled  exclusively  to  all  the  proceeds 
realized  therefrom  ;  but  he  shall  have  no  surface  rights  therein; 
and  the  gold  commissioner  may  grant  to  the  holders  of  adjacent 
claims  such  right  of  entry  thereon  as  may  be  absolutel)'  neces- 
sary for  the  working  of  their  claims,  upon  such  terms  as  may 
to  him  seem  reasonable.  He  may  also  grant  permits  to  miners 
to  cut  timber  thereon  for  their  own  use,  upon  payment  of  the 
dues  prescribed  by  the  regulations  in  that  behalf 

18.  Every  miner  shall  be  entitled  to  the  use  of  so  much  of 
the  water  naturally  flowing  through  or  past  his  claim,  and  not 
already  lawfully  appropriated,  as  shall,  in  the  opinion  of  the 
gold  commissioner,  be  necessary  for  the  due  working  thereof ; 
and  shall  be  entitled  to  drain  his  own  claim  free  of  charge. 

19.  A  claim  shall  be  deemed  to  be  abandoned  and  open  to 
occupation  and  entry  by  any  person  when  the  same  shall  have 
remained  unworked  on  working  days  by  the  grantee  thereof  or 
by  some  person  on  his  behalf  for  the  space  of  seventy-two 
hours,  unless  sickness  or  other  reasonable  cause  be  shown  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  gold  commissioner,  or  unless  the  grantee 
is  absent  on  leave  given  by  the  commissioner,  and  the  gold 
commissioner  upon  obtaining  evidence  satisfactory  to  himself 
that  this  provision  is  not  being  complied  with  may  cancel  the 
entry  given  for  a  claim. 

20.  If  the  land  upon  which  a  claim  has  been  located  is  not 
the  property  of  the  crown  it  will  be  necessary  for  the  person 
who  applied  for  entry  to  furnish  proof  that  he  has  acquired 
from  the  owner  of  the  land  the  surface  rights  before  entry  can 
be  granted. 

21.  If  the  occupier  of  the  lands  has  not  received  the  patent 
therefor,  the  purchase  money  of  the  surface  rights  must  be  paid 
to  the  crown,  and  a  patent  of  the  surface  rights  will  issue  to  the 
party  who  acquired  the  mining  rights.    The  money  so  cvHected 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.      H:^ 


!  ■ 


will  either  be  refunded  to  the  occupier  of  the  laud,  when  he  is 
entitled  to  a  patent  therefor,  or  will  be  credited  to  him  on 
account  of  payment  for  land. 

22.  When  the  party  obtaining  the  mining  rights  to  lands 
cannoi  make  an  arrangement  with  the  owner  or  his  agent  or 
the  occupant  thereof  for  the  acquisition  of  his  surface  rights,  it 
shall  be  lawful  for  him  to  give  notice  to  the  owner  or  his  agent 
or  the  occupier  to  appoint  an  arbitrator  to  act  with  another 
arbitrator  named  by  him,  in  order  to  award  the  amount  of  com- 
pensation to  which  the  owner  or  occupant  shall  be  entitled. 
The  notice  mentioned  in  this  section  shall  be  according  to  a 
form  to  be  obtained  upon  application  from  the  gold  commis- 
sioner for  the  district  in  which  the  lands  in  question  lie,  and 
shall,  when  practicable,  be  personally  served  on  such  owner,  or 
his  agent,  if  known,  or  occupant ;  and  after  reasonable  efforts 
have  been  made  to  effect  personal  service,  without  success,  then 
such  notice  shall  be  served  by  leaving  at,  or  sending  by  regi.s- 
tered  letter  to,  the  last  place  of  abode  of  the  owner,  agent  or 
occupant.  Such  notice  shall  be  served  on  the  owner  or  agent 
within  a  period  to  be  rixed  by  the  gold  commissioner  before  the 
expiration  of  the  time  limited  in  such  notice.  If  the  proprietor 
refuses  or  declines  to  appoint  an  arbitrator,  or  when,  for  any 
other  reason,  no  arbitrator  is  appointed  by  the  proprietor  in  the 
time  limited  therefor  in  the  notice  provided  for  by  this  section, 
the  gold  commissioner  for  the  district  in  which  the  lands 
in  question  He,  shall,  on  being  satisfied  by  aflSdavit  that  such 
notice  has  come  to  the  knowledgeof  such  owner,  agent  or  occu- 
pant, or  that  such  owner,  agent  or  occupant  wilfully  evades  the 
service  of  such  notice,  or  cannot  be  found,  and  that  reasonable 
efforts  have  been  made  to  effect  such  service,  and  that  the  notice 
was  left  at  the  last  place  of  abode  of  such  owner,  agent  or  occu- 
pant, appoint  an  arbitrator  on  his  behalf. 

23.  (a)  All  the  arbitrators  appointed  under  the  authority  of 
these  regulations  shall  be  sworn  before  a  justice  of  the  peace  to 
the  impartial  discharge  of  the  duties  assigned  to  them,  and  they 
shall  forthwith  proceed  to  estimate  the  reasonable  damages 
which  the  owner  or  occupant  of  such  lands,  according  to  their 
several  interests  therein,  shall  sustain  by  reason  of  such  pros- 
pecting and  mining  operations. 

{b')  In  estimating  such   damages,  the  arbitrators  shall  deter- 


ii 


iH^! 


!■; 


i ;  !!!• 


-■  ■  ■ ii-'-rr""rr.ti?niir;iN'-Ba't3;Ciimrnr"fi."i 


81      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


mine  the  value  of  the  land  irrespectively  of  any  enhancement 
therefrom  from  the  existence  of  minerals  therein. 

(c)  In  case  such  arbitrators  cannot  agree,  they  may  select  a 
third  arbitrator,  and  when  two  arbitrators  cannot  agree  upon  a 
third  arbitrator,  the  gold  commissioner  for  the  district  in  which 
the  lands  in  question  lie  shall  select  such  third  arbitrator. 

[d)  The  award  of  any  two  such  arbitrators  made  in  writing 
shall  be  final,  and  shall  be  filed  with  the  gold  commissioner  for 
the  district  in  which  the  lands  lie. 

In  any  cases  arising  for  which  no  provision  is  made  in  these 
regulations,  the  provisions  of  the  regulations  governing  the 
disposal  of  mineral  lands  other  than  coal  lands,  approved  by 
his  excellency  the  governor  in  council  on  the  9th  of  November 
1896,  shall  apply. 


Form  H. — Application  for  grant  for   Placer    Mining    and 
Affidavit  of  Applicant. 

I,  [or  we],  of  hereby  apply  under  the 

Dominion  Mining  Regulations,  for  a  grant  of  a  claim  for  placer 
mining,  as  defined  in  the  said  regulations,  in  [Here 

describe  locality]  and  I  [or  we]  solemely  swear  : 

I .  That  I  [or  we]  have  discovered  therein  a  deposit  of  [here 
name  the  metal  or  mineral.] 

1,  That  I  [or  we]  am  [or  are]  to  the  best  of  my  [or  our] 
knowledge  and  belief,  the  first  discoverer  [or  discovers]  of  said 
deposit ;  or 

3.  That  the  said  claim  was  previously  granted  to  [here  name 
the  last  grantee],  but  has  remained  unworked  by  the  said 
grantee  for  not  less  than 

4.  That  I  [or  we]  am  [or  are]  unaware  that  the  land  is  other 
than  vacant  Dominion  land. 

5.  That  I  [or  we]  did,  on  the  day  of  mark  out  on 
the  ground  in  accordance  in  every  particular  with  the  provis- 
ions of  the  mining  regulations  for  the  Yukon  river  and  its 
tributaries,  the  claim  for  which  I  [or  we]  make  this  applica- 
tion, and  that  in  so  doing  I  [or  we]  did  not  iucroach  on  any 
other  claim  or  mining  location  previously  laid  out  by  any  other 
person. 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.     85 


6.  That  the  said  claim  contains,  as  nearly  as  I  [or  we]  could 
measure  or  estimate,  an  area  of  square  feet,  and  that  the 
description,  (and  sketch,  if  any),  of  this  date  hereto  attached, 
signed  by  me  [or  us]  sets  [or  set]  forth  in  detail,  to  the  best  of 
my  [or  our]  knowledge  and  ability,  its  position,  form  and 
dimensions, 

7.  That  I  [or  we]  make  this  application  in  good  faith,  to 
acquire  the  claim  for  the  sole  purpose  of  mining,  to  be  prose- 
cuted by  myself  [or  us]  or  by  myself  and  associates,  or  by  my 
[or  our]  assigns. 

Sworn  to  before  me  at  this        day  of  18 

[Signature.] 


I. 


No. 


Form  I. — Grant  for  Placer  Mining. 


Department  of  the  Interior. 


Agency,  18 

In  consideration  of  the  payment  of  five  dollars,  being  the  fee 
required  by  the  provisions  of  the  Dominion  Mining  E.egulations, 
clauses  four  and  twenty,  by  (A.  B.)  of  ,  accompany- 

ing his  [or  their]  application  No.  dated  18  ,  for  a  mining 
claim  in  [here  insert  description  of  locality.] 

The  Minister  of  the  Interior  hereby  grants  to  the  said 
(A.  B.)         ,  for  the  term  of  one  year  from  the  date  hereof,  the 
exclusive  right  of  entry  upon  the  claim  [here  describe  in 

detail  the  claim  granted]  for  the  miner-like  working  thereof 
and  the  construction  of  a  residence  thereon,  and  the  exclusive 
right  to  all  the  proceeds  realized  therefrom. 

The  said  (A.  B.)  shall  be  entitled  to  the  use  of  so  much 
of  the  water  naturally  flowing  through  or  past  his  [or  their] 
claim,  and  not  already  lawfully  appropriated,  as  shall  be  neces- 
sary for  the  due  working  thereof,  and  to  drain  his  [or  their] 
claim  free  of  charge. 

This  grant  does  not  convey  to  the  said  (A.  B.)  any  sur- 
face rights  in  the  said  claim,  or  any  right  of  ownership  in  the 
soil  covered  by  the  said  claim  ;  and  the  said  grant  shall  lapse 
and  be  forfeited  unless  th*^  claim  is  continuously  and  in  good 
laith  worked  by  the  said  (A.  B.)  or  his  [or  their]  asso- 
ciates. 

The  rights  hereby  granted  are  those  laid  down  in  the  afore- 


I 


1 V     ; 


% 


4:. 


,'-;i   "life 


'rn-r-mTriiiiia,i.',ii)Mi 


86      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYA'E. 

said  mining  regulations,  and  no  more,  and  are  subject  to  all  the 
provisions  of  said  regulations,  whether  the  same  are  expressed 
herein  or  not, 
[Signed.]  Gold  Commissioner. 


Form  J. — Certificate  of  the  Assie^nineut  of  a  Plaor  Mining 

Claim. 


No. 


Department  of  the  Interior. 


Agency,  i8 

This  is  to  certify  that  (B.  C.)  of  has  [or  have] 

filed  an  assignment  in  due  form  dated  i8    ,  and   accom- 

panied by  a  registration  fee  of  tv/o  dollars,  of  the  grant  to 
(A.  B.)        of  o'"  the  right  to  mine  in        [insert  descrip- 

tion of  claim]  for  one  year  from  the  i8     . 

This  certificate  entitles  the  said  (B.  C.)  to  all  the 

rights  and  privileges  of  the  said  (A.  B.)  in    respect 

of  the  claim  assigned,  that  is  to  say,  to  the  exclusive  right  of 
entry  upon  the  said  claim  for  the  miner-like  working  thereof 
and  the  construction  of  a  residence  thereon,  and  the  exclusive 
right  to  all  the  proceeds  realized  therefrom,  for  the  remaiirng 
portion  of  the  year  for  which  the  said  claim  was  granted  to  the 
said  (A.  B.)  ,  that  is  to  say,  until  the 

day  of  1 8     . 

The  said  (B.  C.)  shall  be  entitled  to  the  use  of  so 

much  ot  the  water  naturally  flowing  through  or  past  his  [or 
their]  claim  and  not  already  lawfully  appropriated,  as  shall  be 
necessary  for  the  due  working  thereof,  and  to  drain  the  claim 
free  of  charge. 

This  grant  does  not  convey  to  the  said  (B.  C.)  any 

surface  rights  in  the  said  claim,  or  any  right  of  ownership  in 
the  soil  covered  by  the  said  claim  ;  and  the  said  grant  shall 
lapse  and  be  forfeited  unless  the  claim  is  continuously,  and  in 
good  faith  worked  by  the  said  (B.  C.)  or  his  [or  their] 

associates. 

The  rights  hereby  granted  are  those  laid  down  in  the  Domin- 
ion Mining  Regulations,  and  no  more,  and  are  subject  to  all  the 
provisions  of  the  said  regulations,  whether  the  same  are  ex- 
pressed herein  or  not. 

Gold  Commissioner. 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.     87 


UNITED   STATES    LAWS. 


ii' 


!!! 


The  following  syiiop.sis  of  the  United  States  Mining 
Laws  was  prepared  for  the  Chicago  T'mes-Herald,  by- 
Mr.  Charles  M.  Walker,  and  will  be  ireful  to  those 
who  wish  to  settle  on  the  United  Spates  side  of  the 
boundary  line  : 

PLACER   CLAIM    DEFIN^.D. 

"  The  term  '  placer  claim,' as  defined  by  the  supreme  court 
of  the  United  States,  is  :  'Ground  within  defined  boundaries 
which  contains  mineral  In  its  earth,  sand  or  gravel ;  ground 
that  includes  valuable  deposits  not  in  place,  that  is,  not  fixed 
in  rock,  but  which  are  in  a  loose  state,  and  may  in  most  cases 
be  collected  by  washing  or  amalgamation  without  milling.' 

Size  of  Quartz  and  Filacer  Claims. — The  manner  of 
locating  placer  mining  claims  differs  from  that  of  locating 
claims  upon  veins  or  lodes.  In  locating  a  vein  or  lode  claim 
the  United  States  statutes  provide  that  no  claim  shall  extend 
more  than  300  feet  on  each  side  of  the  middle  of  the  vein  at  the 
surface,  and  that  no  claim  shall  be  limited  by  mining  regula- 
tions to  less  than  25  feet  on  each  side  of  the  middle  of  the  vein 
at  the  surface.  In  locating  claims  called  '  placers,'  however, 
the  law  provides  that  no  location  of  such  claim  upon  surveyed 
lands  shall  include  more  than  twenty  acres  for  each  individual 
claimant.  The  supreme  court,  however,  has  held  that  one 
individual  can  hold  as  many  locations  as  he  can  purchase  and 
rely  upon  his  possessory  title  ;  that  a  separate  patent  for  each 
location  is  unnecessary. 

Proof  of  Citizenship. — Locators,  however,  have  to  show 
proof  of  citizenship  or  intention  to  beoo^iie  citzens.  This  may 
be  done  in  the  case  of  an  individual  by  his  own  affidavit ;  in  the 
case  of  an  association  incorporated  by  a  number  of  individuals 
by  the  affidavit  of  their  authorized  agent,  made  on  his  own 
knowledge  or  upon  information  and  belief;  and  in  the  case  of 
a  company  organized  under  the  laws  of  any  state  or  territory, 
by  the  filing  of  a  certified  copy  of  the  charter  or  certificate  of 
incorporation. 


i.:>l.; 


!M  rii 


88      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 

Patents. — A  patent  for  any  land  claimed  and  located  may 
be  obtained  in  the  following  manner  :  '  Any  person,  association 
or  corporation  authorized  to  locate  a  claim,  having  claimed  and 
located  a  piece  of  land,  and  who  has  or  have  complied  with  the 
terms  of  the  law,  may  file  in  the  proper  land  office  an  applica- 
tion for  a  patent  under  oath,  showing  such  compliance,  together 
with  a  plat  and  field  notes  of  the  claim  or  claims  in  common 
made  by  or  under  the  direction  of  the  United  States  surveyor 
general,  showing  accurately  the  boundaries  of  the  claim  or 
claims,  which  shall  be  distinctly  marked  by  monuments  on  the 
ground,  and  shall  post  a  copy  of  such  plat,  together  with  a 
notice  of  such  application  for  a  patent,  in  a  conspicuous  place 
on  the  land  embraced  in  such  a  plat,  previous  to  the  application 
for  a  patent  on  such  plat ;  and  shall  file  an  afiidavit  of  at  least 
two  persons  that  such  notice  has  been  duly  posted,  and  shall 
file  a  copy  of  the  notice  in  such  land  office  ;  and  shall  there- 
upon be  entitled  to  a  patent  to  the  land  in  the  manner  follow- 
ing :  The  registrar  ot  said  land  office  upon  the  filing  of  such 
application,  plat,  field  notes,  notices  and  affidavits,  shall  publish 
a  notice  that  such  application  has  been  made,  for  a  period  of 
sixty  days,  in  a  newspaper  to  be  by  him  designated,  as  pub- 
lished nearest  to  such  claim  ;  and  he  shall  post  such  notice  in 
his  office  for  the  same  period.  The  claimant  at  the  time  of  fil- 
ing such  application  or  at  any  time  thereafter,  within  sixty 
days  of  publication,  shall  file  with  the  registrar  a  certificate  of 
the  United  States  surveyor  general  that  $500  worth  of  labor  has 
been  expended  or  improvements  made  upon  the  claim  by  him- 
self or  grantors  ;  that  the  plat  is  correct,  with  such  further 
description  by  reference  to  natural  objects  or  permanent  monu- 
ments as  shall  identify  the  claim  and  furnish  an  accurate 
description  to  be  incorporated  in  the  patent.  At  the  expiration 
of  the  sixiy  days  of  publication,  the  claimant  shall  file  his  affi- 
davit showing  that  the  plat  and  notice  have  been  posted  in  a 
conspicuous  place  on  the  claim  during  such  period  of  publica- 
tion.' 


Adverse  Claims. — If  no  adverse  claim  shall  have  been  filed 
with  the  registrar  of  the  land  office  at  the  expiration  of  said 
sixty  days,  the  claimant  is  entitled  to  a  patent  upon  the  pay- 
ment to  the  proper  officer  of  $5  per  acre  in  the  case  of  a  lode 
claim,  and  $2.50  per  ac;rQ  for  a  placer. 


M    [ 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.     89 


i 


The  location  of  a  placer  claim  and  keeping  possession  thereof 
until  a  patent  shall  be  issued  are  subject  to  local  laws  and  cus- 
toms. 

LAWS  APPLICABLE  TO   ALASKA. 

Many  misunderstandings  have  arisen  in  regard  to  the  land 
and  mineral  laws  applicable  to  Alaska,  some  of  the  United 
States  laws  being,  by  explicit  enactment,  not  operative  in  the 
district  of  Alaska.  The  Comissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office 
has  recently  published  a  statement  which  shows  that  these  are 
the  laws  applicable  to  Alaska  : 

(i)  The  mineral  land  laws  of  the  United  States ;  (2)  town  site 
laws,  which  provide  for  the  incorporation  of  town  sites  and 
acquirement  of  title  thereto  from  the  United  States  Government 
to  the  town  site  Trustees  ;  (3')  the  laws  providing  for  trade  and 
manufactures,  giving  each  qualified  person  160  acres  of  land  in 
a  square  and  compact  form.  The  coal  land  regulations  are  dis- 
tinct from  the  mineral  regulations  or  laws,  and  the  jurisdiction 
of  neither  coal  laws  nor  public  land  laws  extends  to  Alaska,  the 
Territory  being  expressly  excluded  by  the  laws  themselves 
from  their  operation.  The  act  approved  May  17,  1884,  provid- 
ing for  civil  government  for  Alaska,  has  this  language  as  to 
mines  and  mining  privileges  : 

'  The  laws  of  the  United  States  relating  to  mining  claims  and 
rights  incidental  thereto  shall  on  and  after  the  passage  of  this 
act  be  in  full  force  and  effect  in  said  district  of  Alaska,  subject 
to  such  regulations  as  may  be  made  by  the  Secretary  of  the  In- 
terior and  approved  by  the  President,'  and  •  parties  who  have 
located  mines  or  mining  privileges  therein,  under  the  United 
States  laws,  applicable  to  the  public  domain,  or  have  occupied 
or  hnproved  or  exercised  acts  of  ownership  over  such  claims 
shall  not  be  disturbed  therein,  but  shall  be  allowed  to  perfect 
titlji  by  payment  so  provided  for.'  There  is  still  more  general 
authority. 

Without  this  special  authority  the  act  of  July  4,  1866,  says  : 
'  All  valuable  mineral  deposits  in  lands  belonging  to  the  United 
States,  both  surveyed  and  unscrveyed,  are  hereby  declared  to 
be  free  and  open  to  exploration  and  purchase,  and  lands  in 
which  these  are  found  to  occupations  and  purchase  by  citizens 
of  the  United  States  and  by  those  who  have  declared  an  inten- 
tion to  become  such  under  the  rules  prescribed  by  law  and 


I!' 


i  ,1 

I    ! 


I 


\    \ 


■1 


:.•  t 


i '  ' 


90      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


C 


according  to  local  customs  or  rules  of  miners  in  the  several 
mining  districts,  so  far  as  the  same  are  applicable  and  not  in- 
consistent with  the  laws  of  the  United  States. '  " 


CLIMATE. 


The  best  information  that  can  be  obtained  at  second 
hand  as  to  the  climate  of  the  Klondyke  region  is  that 
given  by  the  officials  of  the  Canadian  and  the  United 
States  governments.  Mr.  William  Ogilvie,  the  Can- 
adian surveyor,  in  one  of  his  reports,  says  : 

'  After  my  return  there  was  some  fine  clear 
weather  in  January,  but  it  was  exceedingly  cold,  more 
than  60  degrees  below  zero,  one  night  68.5  degrees, 
and  as  I  had  both  my  ears  pretty  badly  frozen  and 
could  not  go  out  in  such  cold  without  having  them 
covered,  so  that  I  could  not  hear  the  chronometer  beat, 
I  could  not  observe  until  the  end  of  the  month,  when 
we  had  two  fine  nights — 29th  and  30th — mild  enough 
for  me  to  work.' 

United  States  Repokt. — A  more  exhaustive  and 
complete  statement  of  the  climatic  conditions  of  that 
region  is  contained  in  a  United  States  Government 
report  prepared  under  the  direction  of  the  Secretary  of 
Agriculture  by  Willis  L<.  Moore,  Chief  of  the  Weiither 
Bureau.     He  says : 

'  The  climates  of  the  coast  and  interior  of  Alaska 
are  alike  in  many  respects,  and  the  differences  are  in- 
tensified in  this,  as  perhaps  in  few  other  countries,  by 
exceptional  physical  conditions.  The  fringe  of  islands 
that  separates  the  mainland  from  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
from  Dixon  Sound  north,  and  also  a  strip  of  the  main- 
land for  possibly  twenty  miles  back  from  the  sea,  fol- 
lowing the  sweep  of  the  coast  as  it  curves  to  the 


northv 
form  a 
tempei 
zero; 
the  las 
the  m( 
Sitka  i; 
D.  C. 

'The 
world  c 
as  to  th 
sant   ra 
abound, 
days  in 
'Nort 
comes  n 
differenc 
'Cwiv 
interior, 
of  the  c( 
gin  and 
Alaska, 
but  relat 
free  fron 
*  In  th 
from  9:3( 
total   ler 
Rememb 
above  th* 
great  ma 
niay  be  e 
•Weai 
geodetic  s 
on  the  . 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.      91 

northwestward  to  the  western  extremity  of  Alaska, 
form  a  distinct  climatic  division  which  may  be  termed 
temperate  Alaska.  The  temperature  rarely  falls  to 
zero  ;  winter  does  not  set  in  until  December  i ,  and  by 
the  last  of  May  the  snow  has  disappeared  except  on 
the  mountains.  The  mean  winter  temperature  of 
Sitka  is  32.5,  but  little  less  than  that  of  Washington, 
D.  C. 

'  The  rainfall  of  temperate  Alaska  is  notorious  the 
world  over,  not  only  as  regards  the  quantity,  but  also 
as  to  the  manner  of  its  falling,  viz.,  in  long  and  inces- 
sant rains  and  drizzles.  Cloud  and  fog  naturally 
abound,  there  being  on  an  average  but  sixty  clear 
days  in  the  year. 

'  North  of  the  Aleutian  Islands  the  coast  climate  be- 
comes more  rigorous  in  winter,  but  in  summer  the 
difference  is  much  less  marked. 

'  Climatr  of  the  Interior. — The  climate  of  the 
interior,  including  in  that  designation  practically  all 
of  the  country  except  a  narrow  fringe  of  coastal  mar- 
gin and  the  territory  before  referred  to  as  temperate 
Alaska,  is  one  of  extreme  rigor  in  winter,  with  a  brief 
but  relatively  hot  summer,  especially  when  the  sky  is 
free  from  cloud. 

'  In  the  Klondike  region  in  midwinter  the  sun  rises 
from  9:30  to  10  A.  M.,  and  sets  from  2  to  3  p.m.,  the 
total  length  of  daylight  being  about  four  hours. 
Remembering  that  the  sun  rises  but  a  few  degrees 
above  the  horizon  and  that  it  is  wholly  obscured  on  a 
great  many  days,  the  character  of  the  winter  months 
may  be  easily  imagined. 

'  We  are  indebted  to  the  United  States  coast  and 
geodetic  survey  for  a  series  of  six  months'  observations 
on  the  .  akon,  not  far  form  the  present  site  of  the  gold 


ill 


'I  i 


'I  i 


*i    ■ 

if    I 


ii  !i 


I    ,      1     l!■^5 


'■}      i     ■ 

liil  ; 


92      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


discoveries.  The  observations  were  made  with  stan- 
dard instruments  and  are  wholly  reliable.  The  mean 
temperature  of  the  months  from  October,  1889,  to 
April,  1890,  both  inclusive,  are  as  follows  : 


Degrees. 

October  33 

November 8 

December -11 

January -17 


Degrees. 

February -15 

March 6 

April 


20 


'  The  daily  mean  temperature  fell  and  remained 
below  the  freezing  point  (32  degrees)  from  Nov.  4, 
1889,  to  April  21,  1890,  thus  giving  168  days  as  the 
length  of  the  closed  season  of  1889-90,  assuming  that 
outdoor  operations  are  controlled  by  temperature  only. 
The  lowest  temperatures  registered  during  the  winter 
were  32  degrees  below  zero  in  November,  47  below  in 
December,  59  below  in  January,  55  below  in  February, 
45  below  in  March,  and  26  below  in  April.  The 
greatest  continuous  cold  occurred  in  February,  1890, 
when  the  daily  mean  for  five  consecutive  days  was  47 
degrees  below  zero. 

•  Has  Been  Colder  in  United  States. — Greater 
cold  than  that  here  noted  has  been  experienced  in  the 
United  States  for  a  very  short  time.  In  the  interior 
of  Alaska  the  winter  sets  in  as  early  as  September, 
when  snowstorms  may  be  expected  in  the  mountains 
and  passes.  Headway  during  one  of  those  storms  is 
impossible,  and  the  traveler  who  is  overtaken  by  one 
of  them  is  indeed  fortunate  if  he  escapes  with  his  life. 
Snowstorms  of  great  severity  occur  in  any  month  from 
September  to  May  inclusive. 

'  The  changes  of  temperature  from  winter  to  summer 
are  rapid,  owing  to  the  great  increase  in  the  length  of 
the  day.     In  May  the  sun  rises  at  about  3  a.  m.  and 


■ 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.     93 


sets  about  9  p.  m.  In  June  it  rises  about  i  :30  in  the 
morning  and  sets  at  about  10:30  at  night,  giving  about 
twenty  hours  of  daylight  and  diffuse  twilight  the 
remainder  of  the  time. 

*  The  mean  summer  temperature  in  the  interior 
doubtless  ranges  between  60  and  70  degrees,  accord- 
ing to  elevation,  being  highest  in  the  middle  and 
lower  Yukon  valleys.'  " 


i     I 


I   I  1: 


CLinATE  AT  THE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


These  reports  refer  to  the  country  generally.  Mr. 
Wilson  says  of  the  more  immediate  Klondyke  region : 
'  *  The  climate  in  the  lake  region  and  dovni  to  old  Fort 
Yukon,  although  cold  in  winter  and  warm  in  summer, 
is  verj''  agreeable.  The  snow  in  the  upper  river  coun- 
try never  exceeds  three  or  four  feet,  often  barely  two. 
In  summer  little  rain  falls  except  during  an  occasional 
thunder  storm.  The  summer  season  is  truly  one  long 
dream  of  sunshine,  due  to  the  protection  of  the  high 
Coast  range,  which  precipitates  the  ever  present 
humidity  of  the  coast,  leaving  the  interior  dry.  The 
general  direction  of  the  wind  is  inland  in  summer  and 
directly  opposite  in  winter.  This  is  caused  by  the 
rising  of  the  hot  air  of  the  interior  in  summer  and  in 
winter  by  the  existence  of  a  persistent  north  wind 
which  easily  forces  the  coast  breezes  seaward.  The 
winters  while  cold,  are  so  devoid  of  humidity  that  the 
cold  is  easily  endured,  and  one  suffers  less  when  the 
thermometer  registers  forty  below  than  on  the  coast 
at  zero. " 


94      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 


C 


DYEA. 


The  ocean  voyage  over,  the  traveler  is  landed  at 
Dyea,  where  the  real  difficulties  of  the  trip  begin. 
A  guide  is  not  necessary,  unless  you  happen  to  be  the 
first  person  making  the  trip  in  the  season,  for  the  route 
is  pretty  well  marked  out  after  one  party  has  crossed. 
Until  the  great  influx  of  miners  created  a  town,  Dyea 
was  nothing  but  an  Indian  village  and  a  trading  post. 
The  North  American  Trading  and  Transportation 
Company  have  had  a  store  there  for  some  time.  Indian 
packers  can  be  engaged  here,  to  pack  provisions  and 
outfit  over  the  pass  to  Lake  Lindeman.  For  the  first 
mile  or  two  the  road  is  fairly  good,  and  if  the  river  is 
frozen  over,  there  is  none  of  the  unpleasantness  of 
wading  a  cold,  icy  stream,  that  those  who  attempt  to 
cross  later  in  the  season  experience.  The  Dyea  val- 
ley is  an  old  river  bed,  full  of  huge  bowlder:-  and  deep 
sand.  This  passed,  the  Grand  Canyon  is  reached,  a 
deep  cut  into  the  solid  walls  of  the  Coast  range. 
This  canyon  is  followed  for  six  miles  to  Sheep  Camp, 
where  the  scenery  abruptly  changes. 


5HEEP  CAHP. 


From  this  point  to  the  summit,  fifteen  miles,  is  the 
most  arduous  part  of  the  trail.  I  have  seen  men  v.'ith 
packs  on  their  barks, fall  over  backwards,  owing  to  the 
steepness  of  the  road.  Here  it  was  that  we,  as  de- 
scribed in  the  earlier  pages  of  this  book,  used  derricks 
to  hoist  our  supplies  from  one  bench  to  another.  All 
kinds  of  devices  are  followed  to  reach  Ihe  summit,  but 
it  is  to  be  hoped  that  before   another   season   opens, 


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i 


CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE.     95 

something  will  be  done  to  lighten  the  fearful  labors 
of  crossing.  In  the  later  spring,  when  the  snow  has 
melted  the  difficulties  are  increased. 

Two  miles  below  the  summit  are  some  overhanging 
rocks,  which,  affording  shelter  from  storms,  have 
received  the  name  of  Stone  House,  and  from  this  point 
on,  comes  the  tug  of  war.  The  first  mile  and  a  half  are 
bad  enough,  but  the  last  half  mile  is  true  Alpine  work. 
If  you  are  carrying  a  load,  so  much  the  harder.  The 
2,400  feet  climb  from  Stone  House  to  the  summit, 
through  the  snow,  or  in  the  summer,  through  a  mix- 
ture of  slush  and  rocks,  is  about  the  hardest  physical 
exertion  one  meets  on  the  trip.  We  reach  the  top 
well  winded,  tired  and  relieved.  If  we  have  been 
carrying  a  heavy  pack  we  lay  it  down  and  take  a  rest. 
On  our  way  up  we  have  passed  two  or  three  note- 
worthy glaciers, — one  a  short  distance  above  Sheep 
Camp,  and  the  other  as  we  near  the  summit,  a  wall  of 
]:)lue  ice,  towering  a  thousand  feet  above  the  pass. 
We  are  not  going  to  meet  such  another  piece  of  road, 
unless  we  are  trying  to  do  our  own  packing.  If  this 
is  the  case  we  must  go  back  and  bring  up  the  goods 
we  have  left  behind. 

It  is  often  necessary  in  making  journeys  in  this 
country  to  cache  part  of  our  outfit,  that  is  to  say,  to 
put  it  in  a  place  where  it  is  covered  up,  so  that  animals 
will  not  devour  it.  Over  in  the  timbered  regions  this 
is  often  done  by  building  a  receptacle  of  logs,  mounted 
on  uprights,  high  above  the  groundling  vermin  and 
bear-tight.  Articles  so  cached  are  almost  invariably 
respected,  both  by  whites  and  Indians,  he  who  would 
do  violence  to  a  cache  being  looked  upon,  by  Yukoners, 
in  about  the  same  light  that  a  horse-thief  is  regarded 
in  western  Texas. 


•II 


96      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDYKE. 

After  leaving  the  summit  there  is  a  sheer  descent  of 
five  hundred  feet  to  the  bed  of  Crater  lyake.  The 
water  has  cut  a  small  canyon  down  the  mountain  side, 
which  should  be  followed  to  Lake  Lindeman.  When 
snow  lines  the  mountain  side,  this  nine  miles  trip  is 
an  easy  one,  and  after  the  steep  climb  to  the  summit  is 
a  welcome  change. 


WHERE  TO  STOP  FOR  THE  NIGHT. 


In  deciding  where  to  make  a  night  camp  several 
things  should  be  considered.  Try  to  find  a  good 
sheltered  spot,  where  winds  will  not  disturb  you,  or 
storms  hem  you  in,  should  they  come  up,  and  as  plenty 
of  wood  for  fires  is  almost  a  necessity,  try  and  stop 
where  plenty  of  timber  is  to  be  had.  It  is  always 
best  to  stop  early  in  the  afternoon  and  resume  the 
journey  in  the  early  morning,  than  to  travel  until  late, 
make  a  late  camp,  where  no  choice  can  be  had,  go  to 
sleep  under  such  disadvantages  and  wake  unrefreshed 
in  the  morning  to  make  a  late  start. 

A  little  thought  given  to  camping  spots  will  be  well 
repaid  in  the  additional  comforts  enjoyed,  and  hard- 
ships escaped. 


LAKE  LINDEflAN. 


Here  the  journey  down  the  chain  of  lakes  and  rivers 
which  finally  leads  to  the  Klondyke  begins,  and  to  one 
who  carefully  follows  my  narrative,  little  if  anything 
further  need  be  said, 


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CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  KLONDVKE.     97 


BOAT  BUILDING. 


In  building  your  boat,  be  sure  that  it  is  strong  and 
secure,  with  an  extra  thick  bottom.  Wilson's  boat 
was  built  of  five-eighth  boards,  twenty-two  feet  long 
and  well  braced  with  one  and  three-quarter  inch  tim- 
bers nailed  and  clinched  with  wire  nails.  It  carried 
about  nine  hundred  pounds  of  outfit  besides  themselves. 

Mr.  Brownlie's  advice  in  this  matter  is  as  follows  : 
*'  The  idea  seems  to  be  prevalent  that  you  must  build 
your  boat  as  soon  as  you  get  over  the  'divide, '  either 
at  Lake  Lindeman  or  Lake  Bennett.  If  I  were  going 
to  make  the  trip  I  should  do  nothing  of  the  kind.  By 
leaving  San  Francisco  in  early  February,  not  later 
than  the  middle  of  the  month,  you  can,  in  all  proba- 
bility, get  over  the  *  divide  '  without  trouble  early  in 
March.  At  that  time  of  the  year  the  lakes  and  streams 
are  nearly  all  frozen,  and  a  person  can  get  as  far  as' 
the  foot  of  Lake  Labarge  before  the  ice  begins  to 
break  up.  It  is  much  easier  to  travel  over  the  ice  than 
through  the  lakes  in  a  boat,  besides  you  can  go  much 
faster,  for  in  many  places  you  can  stick  up  a  sail  on 
your  sled  and  go  skimming  over  the  surface  at  a  very 
rapid  speed.  I  know  of  one  party  that  got  as  far  as 
Fort  Selkirk  in  that  manner  before  the  ice  broke.  At 
any  rate  I  would  go  as  far  as  I  could  in  that  way, 
and  then  I  would  build  my  boat.  It  does  not  require 
an  expert  boat  builder  to  do  this,  but  it  was  about  the 
hardest  work  I  did  on  the  whole  trip. 

"You  can't  scoop  a  canoe  out  of  a  big  log  as  the 
Indians  do,  because  a  white  man,  without  he  has 
had  years  of  experience  in  that  sort  of  thing,  would 
tip  a  canoe  over  the  moment  he  got  into  it,  and  if  he 
didn't  do  that  he  would  fall  out  at  the  first  rapids  he 


98      CLEMENTS'  GUIDE  TO  THE  k'LONDYKE. 


Struck.  The  only  way  to  do  is  to  get  out  on  the  bank 
of  the  stream  or  lake  and  select  a  fir  tree  large  enough 
to  give  lumber  the  desired  size.  You  will  not  get  verj' 
far  from  the  water  because  the  undergrowth  is  so  thick 
in  most  places  that  a  dog  can't  get  through.  And  I 
want  to  say  right  here  that  this  talk  about  footing  it 
all  the  way  is  absurd.  Yon  must  go  in  a  boat  or  on 
the  ice.  The  timber  is  so  heavy  and  the  undergrowth 
so  rank  that  a  man  couldn't  walk  from  Lake  L,inde- 
man  to  Sixty-Mile  in  a  hundred  years.  Bf  .  building 
is  a  necessity.  After  you've  cut  down  yo  r  tree  and 
trimmed  off  the  branches  and  sawed  the  trunk  into 
the  length  you  want  your  boards,  then  you've  got  to 
build  a  sort  of  roll-way  and  get  the  tree  up  off  the 
ground  four  or  five  feet,  so  as  to  be  able  to  saw  it. 
Then  you  have  about  a  week 'shard  work  whip- sawing 
the  lumber  out.  The  timber  is  green,  and  after  half 
dozen  pulls  at  the  saw  you've  got  to  stop  and  drive  a 
wedge  to  keep  the  saw  from  getting  stuck. 

"  The  boat  should  be  built  as  strong  as  it  can  be 
made,  and  the  bottom  should  be  extra  thick.  If  it  is 
not  the  first  boulder  you  strike  will,  in  all  probability, 
knock  a  hole  in  it  and  dump  you  and  your  load  into 
the  river,  from  which  you  will  be  very  lucky  to  escape 
with  your  life." 

Arrived  at  Dawson  City  the  prospector  or  would  be 
gold  digger  must  decide  for  himself,  after  consulta- 
tion with  people  on  the  ground,  where  and  how  he 
will  go  prospecting,  and  thus  gain  the  wealth  for 
which  he  has  come.  I  can  only  express  the  hope,  in 
concluding  these  hastily  but  carefully  written  and 
arranged  pages,  that  every  man  who  goes  will  be  as 
lucky,  or  even  more  so,  than  I  have  been  and  come  back 
to  his  home  and  loved  ones  ' '  well  fixed  ' '  for  life. 


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How  to  Reach  the  Klondyke 

Will  be  the  first  important  question  asked  by  those 
who  seriously  contemplate  seeking  their  fortunes  in 
the  rich  gold  fields  of  Alaska. 

So  far  as  the  route  to  the  Pacific  Coast  is  concerned 
the  Southern  Pacific  Company  will  undertake  to 
make  satisfactory  answer. 

The  principal  point  of  embarkation  for  all  trans- 
Pacific  points  is  San  Francisco.  All  travel  and  traffic 
to  Alaska  is  primarily  from  that  point.  During  the 
summer  season  when  navigation  in  the  northern  seas 
is  possiblv-  regular  line  steamers  leave  that  port  for 
Juneau  and  other  Alaskan  ports  every  few  days,  thus 
perfecting  the  most  direct  and  well  established  route 
known  to  the  great  mines  of  the  north. 

1  he  Southern  Pacific  Company  has  two  lines  direct 
to  San  Francisco,  either  of  which,  depending  of  course 
on  the  starting  point,  will  afford  quick  and  comfortable 
passage. 

One  is  styled  the  "  Ogden  Route,"  extending  from 
Ogden  westward  in  an  almost  direct  line  to  San  Fran- 
cisco. From  the  New  England  and  Middle  States  and 
the  Upper  Mississippi  Valley  it  is  unquestionably  the 
most  popular  route  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  Two  through 
trains  daily  leave  Chicago  for  San  Francisco,  providing 
accommodations  for  both  first  and  second  class  passen- 
gers. Through  cars  of  both  classes  are  likewise  run  daily 
from  Omaha,  Kansas  City,  Denver  and  Salt  I^ake  City. 

The  accommodations  on  this  route  for  long  journeys 
are  not  surpassed  in  trar>«5continental  railway  service, 
and  it  is  always  of  prime  importance  when  arranging 
for  a  long  journey  to  consult  comfort,  convenience  and 
expedition.  The  Ogden  Route  is  also  a  noted  pictur- 
esque route,  and  adds  to  the  attraction  of  expediency 
the  attraction  of  pleasure. 


The  other  famous  line  of  the  S.  P.  Co,  is  the  '  Sun- 
set Route  "  extending  from  New  Orleans  to  San 
FrancivSco,  and  now  universally  regarded  as  the  great 
Southern  gateway  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  From  the 
entire  southern  portion  of  the  United  States  the 
natural  course  westward  is  through  New  Orleans, 
Houston,  Kl  Paso,  Yuina  and  lyos  Angeles  to  the 
great  Golden  Gate  metropolis.  Through  cars  first  and 
second  class  leave  New  Orleans  daily,  and  every  Wed- 
nesday a  tourist  car  leaves  Washington,  D,  C,  direct 
for  San  Francisco  without  change.  On  Thursdays  a 
tourist  car  also  leaves  Cincinnati  for  the  same  destina- 
tion through  New  Orleans  without  change. 

Parties  making  their  arrangements  for  this  long  trip 
will  naturally  desire  to  consult  someone  who  can  give 
them  full  information,  hence  we  take  pleasure  in 
appending  addresses  of  the  following  S.  P.  Co.  agents 
who  will  be  glad  to  supply  any  further  information 
that  may  be  desired  as  to  rates,  routes,  etc. 

E.  Hawley,  A.  G.  T.  M.,  349  Broadway,  New  York  ; 
E.  E.  Currier,  New  England  Agent,  9  State  Street, 
Boston,  Mass  ;  R.  J.  Smith,  Agent,  49  South  Third 
St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa.;  B.  B.  Barber,  Agent,  209  J\. 
German  St.,  Baltimore,  Md,:  F.  T.  Brooks,  N.  Y. 
State  Agent,  129  S.  Franklin  St.,  Syracuse,  N.  Y.; 
G.  G.  Herring,  Com.  Agent,  201  Telephone  Building, 
Seventh  Ave.,  Pittsburg,  Pa.;  W.  H.  Connor,  Com. 
Agent,  Chamber  of  Commerce  Building,  Cincinnati, 
O.;  W.  G.  Neimyer,  Gen.  Western  Agent,  238  Clark 
St.,  Chicago,  111.;  Wm.  K.  McAllister,  Gen.  Agent, 
1 1 12  vSeventeenth  St.,  Denver,  Colo.;  R.  O.  Bean, 
Traveling  Pass.  Agent,  4  Noel  Block,  Nashville,  Tenn.; 
W.  R.  Fagan,  Trav^l'ng  Pass.  Agent,  18  Wall  St., 
Atlanta,  Ga.,  and  S.  F.  B.  Morse,  General  Passenger 
Agent,  (Atlantic  System)  New  Orleans,  La. 


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